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.
Sixteenth-century drug jar acquired by the British Museum
The British Museum has acquired a drug jar dating back to the early sixteenth century. It was donated to the public through the Cultural Gifts Scheme set up by the British government.
What X-rays reveal about 16th century armour from the Mary Rose
Cutting-edge X-ray technology has allowed University of Warwick scientists to analyse the armour worn by the crew of the Mary Rose, a sixteenth century English warship.
The spur goad from Skegrie in Scania, Sweden
The present paper focuses on a small metal artefact discovered in 2008 during archaeological excavations that preceded the construction of the E6 road leading from Trelleborg to Vellinge in Scania, Sweden.
Byzantine Jewellery: The Evidence from Byzantine Legal Documents
In the field of Byzantine jewellery studies the usefulness of this approach was demonstrated, over 20 years ago, by the work of Hetherington on the ownership and distribution of Byzantine enamels.
“Making Many Books”: Books as Artefacts in the Medieval Islamicate World
This lecture discusses the material aspect of the production and consumption of books as manifested mainly in book lists from the Geniza.
1,200 year-old ‘King’ piece found on Lindisfarne
A rare, glass gaming piece has been discovered during an archaeological dig on Lindisfarne
‘Laugh, My Love, Laugh’: Mottos, Proverbs and Love Inscriptions on Late Medieval Bone Saddles
Fifteenth-century bone saddles form a particularly unique and special object group in medieval Central European history.
Windows on a medieval world: medieval piety as reflected in the lapidary literature of the Middle Ages
The lapidary literature of the Middle Ages has been overlooked as a source for the study of medieval Christian piety.
Memories of migration? The ‘Anglo-Saxon’ burial costume of the fifth century AD
It is often claimed that the mortuary traditions that appeared in lowland Britain in the fifth century AD are an expression of new forms of ethnic identity, based on the putative memorialisation of a ‘Germanic’ heritage.
How well do you know these Viking-age artefacts?
We have many remains from the Viking-age that offer insights into the Norse world. Here are ten artefacts – do you know what they are?
Historical Presents: Fake History, Material Culture and Collective Misremembering
How and why have material things (manuscript illuminations, printed books, turf-cut chalk drawings, elaborate costumes, immense figures in papier-mâché, oak, wicker, and even latex) preserved and embellished the memory of this foundation myth, alongside centuries of destruction, ridicule, indifference, and misunderstanding?
A Landmark in the History of Chinese Ceramics: The Invention of Blue-and-white Porcelain in the Tang Dynasty (618–907 A.D.)
This study investigates the origin and development of Tang blue-and-white porcelain.
Word Embodied: Entangled Icons in Medieval Japanese Buddhist Art
My project on the Japanese jeweled pagoda mandalas reveals the entangled realms of relics, reliquaries, and Buddhist scripture engendered through intricate interactions of word and image.
Long-lost Lewis Chessmen piece discovered
Until this week it was believed that the famous Lewis chessmen collection consisted of 93 pieces. However, a previously long-lost piece has been unveiled, and is expected to be auctioned for as much as £1 million.
Charisma, Violence and Weapons: The Broken Swords of the Vikings
The blades were beaten, bent or twisted, sometimes folded together in a way that needs preparation, expertise and equipment. The fact that these swords were subjected to special treatment, handled in a different manner than the rest of the grave goods, underscores the distinctive role of swords in Norse society
The Reuse of ‘Antiques’ in Anglo-Saxon Graves
Were these curated or items ‘won or stolen’ from earlier sites? At a different level, it is suggested that a type of Iron Age ‘safety pin’ brooch became popular at this time in the mid- 7th century.
Medieval people’s obsession with crystals: an interview with Marisa Galvez
Stanford medievalist Marisa Galvez is examining the origins of people’s fascination with crystals. She finds that crystals inspired the writing and poetry of some medieval authors in unexpected ways.
Heart, Hand, and Mind: Grasping the Cross in Early Medieval England
Far removed from the bodies they once adorned and the graves which from which they were unearthed gold cross pendants richly inlaid with garnets sit behind glass in various museums in Great Britain.
Your Birthstone According to the Middle Ages
Birthstones and their superpowers according to the Middle Ages
700-year-old ring bearing the image of St. Nicholas discovered by a gardener in Israel
A rare impressive, intact bronze ring from the Middle Ages, bearing the image of St. Nicholas, was discovered by chance during recent landscaping work in the garden of a home in the Jezreel Valley community of Moshav Yogev.
How Dice Changed in the Middle Ages
Whether at a casino playing craps or engaging with family in a simple board game at home, rolling the dice introduces a bit of chance or “luck” into every game.
Free Trade and Free Movement of People: diplomacy and material culture in the early and high Middle Ages
There is a wealth of material relating to diplomatic gifts. However, beyond this aspect, and a few references about trade in treaties and links to this in coinage, surprisingly little has been written about material culture and diplomatic practice.