Medieval Church Discovered in Bulgaria
Archaeologists have uncovered the 14th-century church of the medieval monastery of St. Theodosius of Tarnovski near Veliko Tarnovo, in northern Bulgaria, shedding light on the rich historical legacy of the region.
Defeat at the Gates: How Inexperience Crushed Byzantium’s Army in 986
In August 986, the Byzantine Empire suffered a devastating defeat at the Battle of the Gates of Trajan, where Emperor Basil II’s inexperienced forces were ambushed by the Bulgarian army. This battle marked a pivotal moment in the Byzantine-Bulgarian wars, exposing the empire’s vulnerabilities and shaping Basil’s future as a military leader.
Did Basil II the ‘Bulgar-slayer’ blind 15,000 prisoners?
At the end of the Battle of Kleidion, it is reported the Byzantine emperor blinded 15,000 prisoners. Could this story be true?
Harald Hardrada: Against the Bulgarians
In this article, we look at Harald Hardrada’s rewarding service within the Varangian Guard, the Byzantine-Bulgarian conflict, and Harald’s role in defeating a Bulgarian revolt that broke out in 1040.
Visual material evidence of Viking presence in the Balkans
The purpose of this article is to outline the Viking objects discovered in the Balkans.
The value of empire: tenth-century Bulgaria between Magyars, Pechenegs and Byzantium
The article seeks to explain the connection between the migration of the Magyars and Pechenegs in central and south-east Europe, in the late ninth and early tenth century, and the conflict between Byzantium and Bulgaria during the same period.
Diplomacy, bribery, trickery and ‘other means’: Defending the Byzantine Empire
I will try to figure out the delicate equilibrium between the appetite of the Byzantines for war, and their willingness to negotiate by ‘other means’, i.e diplomacy, or the employment of stratagems, craft, and bribery.
How the borders of the Bulgaria and Romania changed during the Middle Ages
These two neighbouring nations had a tumultuous history during the Middle Ages. Here are five videos examining their changing borders.
The Mongols in Europe: The Byzantines, the Bulgarians and the Golden Horde
How did the Mongol presence in the Balkans effect its two main political powers – the Byzantines and the Bulgarians?
Banditry and the Clash of Powers in 14th-Century Thrace: Momcilo and his Fragmented Memory
In the 14th century, a time of civil wars, religious and dynastic strifes, epidemics, natural disasters and miserable living conditions for the wider strata in the cities and the countryside that increased migratory movements, banditry, an indigenous phenomenon in the Balkan mountainous regions, intermingled with the intensified political struggles.
Holy rulers and the integration of the medieval Serbian space
This paper proposes a new line of analysis of the rich body of medieval Serbian royal hagiography.
Linear frontiers in the 9th century: Bulgaria and Wessex
I intend to answer some of those questions through a comparison between two famous, yet relatively neglected examples of imposition of ‘linear frontiers’ onto the landscape of early medieval Europe, both dated to the 9th century.
Fortified Settlements of the 9th and 10th Centuries ad in Central Europe: Structure, Function and Symbolism
The structure, function(s) and symbolism of early medieval (9th–10th centuries ad) fortified settlements from central Europe, in particular today’s Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia, are examined in this paper.
Medieval Poison Ring discovered in Bulgaria
Bulgarian archaeologists have discovered a medieval ring that had a secret compartment which could have been used to conceal poison.
The Battle of Beroia: A Byzantine ‘Face of Battle’
It was by reading John Keegan’s Face of Battle that I discovered that it was possible to write military history that was both intellectually rigorous and engaging to read.
Conversion and Empire: Byzantine Missionaries, Foreign Rulers, and Christian Narratives (ca. 300-900)
For a broader modern audience today, if taken somewhat journalistically, Pusicius’ story is an example that cuts along cultural and religious lines that presumably originate in ancient, political divisions and confirm a “clash of civilizations” thesis.
Reflection of European Sarmatia in Early Cartography
While looking for the origins of the state of Lithuania, it is the study of old maps that helps solve a number of riddles, so far weighing on the history of our nation. Historical data, traced in maps and their images, unrestricted by any political, religious or pseudo- scientific taboos, allow us to cast a broad view on the dim and distant past of our state.
Emeralds, sapphires, pearls and other gemmological materials from the Preslav gold treasure (X century) in Bulgaria
The medieval settlement of Preslav (now Veliki Preslav) was founded during the VIII to IX century. It has been proclaimed the second capital of Bulgaria in 893 and is related to the reign of Tsar Simeon the Great.
Transylvania in Hungarian History: An Introduction
From their Balkan homeland the Vlachs began their migrations north in the thirteenth century, migrations that were accelerated no doubt by the beginning of Ottoman Turkish expansion into the Balkans.
The Medieval Town in Bulgaria, thirteenth to fourteenth century
In my study, the town in late medieval Bulgaria is conceptualized as an explanandum, not as an explanans, as part of the social and economic environment rather than some distinctive entity.
Conceptions of Ethnicity in Early Medieval Studies
Today’s nationalist movements in many eastern European countries have rediscovered the nineteenth-century ideal of the homogeneous nation-state; it is sad to see that after so many tragedies it has brought about, some more seem to follow, and often in the name of history.