A Medieval Noblewoman’s Guide to Dressing Up
A look inside Eleanor de Montfort’s wardrobe, and why it was important for a 13th-century countess to dress extravagantly and beautifully.
What can ‘skeletal trauma’ tell us about the people of medieval Cambridge
University of Cambridge researchers examined the remains of 314 individuals dating from the 10th to the 14th century and collected evidence of “skeletal trauma”
A Medieval Peasants’ Winter
Coping with cold and snow, the medieval way.
Medieval hygiene
Everyone knows that medieval people were dirty, smelly and largely indifferent to their own filth – or were they? In fact, medieval physicians were well aware of the health benefits of good hygiene, and advice books told readers that keeping clean was the polite thing to do.
Medieval Stain Removal
What did medieval people do when they spilled wine on their best clothes?
Everyday Life in Medieval Ireland: Raths and Round Houses
Aidan O’Sullivan talks about everyday life in medieval Ireland and offers insights into the round house the Experimental Archaeology team built.
Uncovering the people who lived in medieval Ypres
Unique research into skeletons from the 13th century aims to determine health status, origin and lifestyle
The Five Senses of Sin
Have you seen anything that enticed you into sinning?
Sex in the Not-City: Bad Behavior in the Medieval English Village
Why was the policing of sexual relationships in these medieval communities thought to be necessary in the first place?
Norman Conquest of 1066 did little to change England’s eating habits
The story of the Norman Conquest of England has primarily been told from evidence of the elite classes of the time. But little has been known about how it affected everyday people’s lives.
Travel Expenses in the Middle Ages
Travelling for business, then as now, meant keeping careful track of your expenses, from what you ate, to who you schmoozed (and how), to what you did when your transportation broke down.
Fatness and Thinness in the Middle Ages
What did medieval people, living in a preindustrial time of food scarcity, think about fatness and thinness?
What to get for a medieval baby shower
As any parent who’s ever tried to travel with a baby will know, babies require a fair bit of stuff to keep them safe, happy, and comfortable.
Taking Care of Babies in the Middle Ages
When it comes to taking care of babies in the Middle Ages, this meant swaddling them and rocking them in cradles.
Touch in the Middle Ages
In these times, I want to bring out one thing that medieval people knew but we seem to have forgotten: Touch is necessary and fundamental.
The Medieval Invention of Toilet Paper
With toilet paper, or rather the sometimes frenzied demand for toilet paper, being in the news recently, it is a good time to look at the medieval origins of this very useful product.
What can bones tell us about kitchen utensils in the Middle Ages?
Who in the Middle Ages cooked their dinner in copper pots? And where did they do it? Such information can be revealed by chemical analyzes of human bones.
Doing Laundry in the Middle Ages
This week, Danièle gets down and dirty on medieval laundry. Who washed the clothes in the Middle Ages? How did they do it? And why was it so dangerous?
How to build a house (and learn French) the medieval way
Perhaps one of the most delightful works from the Middle Ages is The Treatise of Walter of Bibbesworth. From it you can learn much about medieval daily life and be taught French at the same time.
How to have a good workout: lessons from the 16th century
Feeling the need to get in shape and exercise? It might be time to consult the 16th century writings of Sir Thomas Elyot on how to have a good workout.
b-Mail: Everyday Communication on Birch bark in Medieval Russia
Thanks to these letters have opened a remarkable window on the civilization of medieval Russia, including many details of economic transactions, legal procedures, folk rituals, and everyday life.
Interpreting Medieval Dreams
Dreams have a powerful way of stirring emotions, so it would be awfully nice to know if they contain important messages for us, or hints about the future.
How Coal Played a Part in Medieval Air Pollution
Pollution was a problem long before the Industrial Revolution and complaints of air pollution and its association with fuel can be traced back over seven hundred years.
Measuring in the Middle Ages with Emanuele Lugli
It often seems it’s the things that we take for granted that have the biggest impact. One of these things is the way we measure. This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Emanuele Lugli about the way people used measurement for business, for justice, and for devotion.