Account of the Viking Siege of Paris offers new insights into the early Middle Ages
By Peter Konieczny and Sandra Sadowski The chance to work on an amazing and unique story was the reason behind Nirmal Dass producing…
Crusaders massacre of Jerusalem was done in cold-blood, not religious frenzy, historian argues
A leading historian of the Crusades believes that 1099 massacre of Jerusalem’s inhabitants by the army of the First Crusade was not the…
Scientists examine medieval painting at the Tower of London
A medieval wall painting at the Tower of London has received some special attention from scientists at Nottingham Trent University. Dr Haida Liang…
The Dance of Death in the Middle Ages: Image, Text, Performance
The macabre encounter of skeletons mocking the living has haunted Case Western Reserve University art historian Elina Gertsman’s imagination since childhood walks with her…
Undergrad thesis: ‘Feathered Funerals: Birds in Early Anglo-Saxon Burial Rites’ wins award
Ruth Nugent of the University of Chester has been awarded The Society for Medieval Archaeology’s John Hurst Prize for the Best Undergraduate Dissertation,…
Historian uncovers new insights into Jewish Religious life in the Byzantine empire
New research has uncovered a forgotten chapter in the history of the Bible, offering a rare glimpse of Byzantine Jewish life and culture. The…
Research on Japanese pirates in the 15th and 16th centuries
This video report details the work by Peter Shapinsky of the University of Illinois – Springfield, related to Japanese pirates from the 15th and…
The ‘mad’ Egyptian scholar who proved Aristotle wrong
Ibn al-Haytham’s 11th-century Book of Optics, which was published exactly 1000 years ago, is often cited alongside Newton’s Principia as one of the…
Top Ten Medieval Stories of 2010
For medievalists, 2010 marked a year of new discoveries and research, and a controversy over where to hold a conference. Medievalists.net has chosen…
Medieval Scotland database launched
A database identifying over 15000 people in medieval Scotland has been officially launched. Paradox of Medieval Scotland, 1093-1286 draws on over 6000 charters…
Tens of thousands of Song Dynasty coins discovered in China
Over 4400 pounds of copper coins dating back to the Song Dynasty were uncovered earlier this week by construction workers digging in a…
Did the Scots visit Iceland? New research reveals island inhabited 70 years before Vikings thought to have arrived
By Owen Jarus It is now thirty years since clerics, who live on the island [Thule] from the first of February to the…
13th century Welsh chapel to be restored
A chapel in the Welsh town of Llantwit Major has been awarded nearly £300,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to transform the ruined…
Remains of medieval monastery opened to the public in UAE
The remains of an early medieval monastery on Sir Bani Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates was opened to the public last…
National Library of Wales creates website for 15th century manuscript
A colourful medieval manuscript that depicts the story of Alexander the Great is now available online from the National Library of Wales’s website.…
Reviews in History publishes its 1,000th review
Reviews in History, the online journal of the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), publishes its 1,000th review this month. Launched in 1996, Reviews…
How medieval peasants prayed – research from Sweden
When people belonging to peasant communities in late medieval Sweden prayed to God they usually stood up and put their palms together. That…
Gothic Ivories Project website launched
A new medieval website was launched today which aims at including all readily available information on every surviving Gothic ivory, accompanied by at…
Book on Wollaton Medieval Manuscripts published
The largest surviving family-owned library of medieval manuscripts in Britain can now be enjoyed by everyone thanks to the publication of a new…
Hirschfeld Named Director of University of Tennessee’s Medieval and Renaissance Institute
Heather Hirschfeld, a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, associate professor of English, has been named the new Riggsby Director of the university’s Marco Institute…
Tiny letters found on the Mona Lisa, researcher finds
Italian researchers have discovered tiny letters on Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa portrait, which they believe will shed light on who the…
Medieval scholar to take one-year trip to explore Iceland’s sagas
A Cambridge scholar is starting a one-year journey across Iceland, to examine the history and significance of Icelandic sagas. Dr Emily Lethbridge, who…
Disease, Disability and Medicine in Early Medieval Europe workshop at the University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham will be hosting a workshop this Sunday and Monday that will examine how disability, in all its forms, was…
Museum Secrets – New Television Series to Premiere in January!
Museum Secrets is a six-part television series where viewers are invited into the world’s greatest museums to uncover surprising stories and revealing secrets.…
Medieval England had a per capita income over $1000, research shows
New research led by economists at the University of Warwick reveals that medieval England was not only far more prosperous than previously believed,…