Fish commoditization and the historical origins of catching fish for profit
Herring trade expanded in the late 1300s with the introduction in Holland of an improved curing process that allowed the salting of fresh herring in barrels at sea.
UNESCO adds medieval sites to World Heritage List
Medieval sites in Sicily, Korea and Turkey were among those selected to be added to UNESCO World Heritage list this week. During meetings held at Bonn, Germany, over 20 sites from around the world were added to the list, which now stands at over 1,000 landmarks and areas.
Environmental Crusading: The Teutonic Knight’s Impact After the Baltic Crusades
Environmental archaeologist and Professor of Archeology at Reading, Dr. Aleks Pluskowski, examined Malbork and several other sites across Eastern and Northern Europe in his recent paper, The Ecology of Crusading: The Environmental Impact of Holy War, Colonisation, and Religious Conversion in the Medieval Baltic. Pluskowski is keenly interested in the impact the Teutonic Knights and Christian colonisation had on the region. His ambitious 4 year project on the ecological changes in this area recently came to a close at the end of 2014.
It’s too hot! I’m hungry! : The Challenges of Going on Crusade
The journey to the Holy Land by crusaders was often a perilous trip. However, the biggest fear for many crusaders was that the climate would be dangerously hot for them.
These are some of the findings of Joanna Phillips, who spoke earlier this week at the Institute of Historical Research. Her paper, ‘Marching on their Stomachs? Crusader Marches to the Holy Land in the Twelfth Century’ dealt with issues related to food, health and travel during the crusades in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Winter, snow and cold in the life of the Westviking
The main purpose of this paper is to examine how the Westviking were influenced by winter, snow and cold in their day-to-day life as they were making progress in the West.
War-Winning Weapons? On the Decisiveness of Ottoman Firearms from the Siege of Constantinople (1453) to the Battle of Mohács (1526)
How important a role did gunpowder weapons play in these Ottoman victories? The following re-examination of selected sieges and battles attempts to answer this question.
Lactose Intolerance in the Middle Ages
New research suggests that medieval people had a similar level of lactose intolerance as modern day people, meaning they could drink milk and eat yogurt and cheese without problems.
Books: Medieval Sources in Translation 2013
Here are some medieval sources in translation that were published last year.
On the windy edge of nothing: Vikings in the North Atlantic World
With a focus upon the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland, Kevin Edwards will present a select narrative of past and recent writings, archaeological enquiry and scientific research concerning the Norse settlement of the North Atlantic.
Why did Vinland fail?
Brigitta Wallace, one of the leading scholars on the Vikings in North America, examines why their settlements failed.
Bread in the Middle Ages
Bread was the staple of life in the Middle Ages. You could also be called a heretic or go insane if you ate the wrong one. Includes medieval bread recipes.
Environmental impact of the Baltic Crusades: deforestation, animal extinction, dogs no longer on the menu
A multidisciplinary project seeks to understand the environmental impact of the Baltic Crusades. Horses, for example, aided the Christians in battle, while the castles the Crusaders built decimated forests.
Wormholes from centuries-old art prints reveal history
Wormholes reproduced in wood-printed illustrations dating back to the Middle Ages are offering researchers to track both the ecology of beetles and the spread of printing in Europe.
Hot Holiday Reads!
Put down those turkey left-overs and check out some of these hot holiday reads!
Medieval Podcasts
Here are eighteen podcasts/radio programs you can listen to which offer great content on the Middle Ages.
The Viking Cities of Dublin and York: Examining Scandinavian Cultural Change and Viking Urbanism
Dubh Linn and Jorvik, as Dublin and York were known in the Viking Age, both experienced enormous change during their time as Viking colonial centers.
Fodder and fodder resources in late‐medieval England: Output, consumption and crises
Fodder and fodder resources in late‐medieval England: Output, consumption and crises By Philip Slavin Paper given at the European Historical Economics Society Conference,…
Horses and Crossbows: Two Important Warfare Advantages of the Teutonic Order in Prussia
The combination of these two developments made it possible for the Order’s garrisons to withstand long sieges, provided they had sufficient supplies of food, weapons and crossbow bolts.
Furs, Fish and Ivory – Medieval Norsemen at the Arctic Fringe
Furs, Fish and Ivory – Medieval Norsemen at the Arctic Fringe By Christian Keller Journal of the North Atlantic, Vol. 3 (2010) Abstract:…
The Prince, the Assassin and the Mongols
On a night in June 1272, in the Crusader city of Acre, the English prince Edward and his wife Eleanor were asleep when a spy came asking to meet with Edward.
The Ottoman influences on Croatia in the second half of the fifteenth century
The article discusses political, social, economic and demographic consequences of the Ottoman attacks on the Croatian territories during the second half of the 15th century.
The Byzantines in the West in the Sixth Century
The Byzantines in the West in the Sixth Century By John Morehead The New Cambridge Medieval History, ed. Paul Fouracre (Cambridge University Press,…
Tilling the Hateful Earth: Agricultural Production and Trade in the Late Antique East
Tilling the Hateful Earth: Agricultural Production and Trade in the Late Antique East By Michael Decker Oxford University Press, 2009 ISBN: 978-0-19-956528-3 This…
Selective Manuring in the Medieval Open Fields
Selective Manuring in the Medieval Open Fields By Richard Jones XIV International Economic History Congress (2006) Introduction: For those in medieval Europe who sought to make…
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This section provides a subject guide to the hundreds of articles, theses, books and videos listed on our website dealing with the Middle…