Southern Africa’s largest medieval city had an extensive water management system, researchers find
Great Zimbabwe, the largest city in southern Africa during the Middle Ages, made use of dozens of large pits to store water. A new study reveals how this system allowed the community to manage a stable water supply in a region prone to drought.
New Medieval Books: London: A Fourteenth-Century City and its People
A look at the daily life of medieval Londoners using the abundant records from the city. Over 40 different topics are covered, ranging from sanitation to crimes and roads to religion.
Sources of Life: Food and water sustainability in Abbasid Baghdad
Managing access to clean water and large quantities of grain and other foodstuffs was essential for the development of an exceedingly large city such as Baghdad under the Abbasids.Managing access to clean water and large quantities of grain and other foodstuffs was essential for the development of an exceedingly large city such as Baghdad under the Abbasids.
Exploring the monuments of Byzantine Constantinople, with Sergey Ivanov
A conversation with Sergey Ivanov on the monuments, buildings, and ruins of the Byzantine phase of the City’s history. We talk about how to explore them, how to access their history, and even get a feel for the lingering presence of the events that took place in them. We ponder what has been lost and what might yet be found.
The Story of the Leonine Walls
The urban wall that once enclosed St. Peter’s Basilica and its neighborhood is one of the best-preserved monuments of medieval Rome, but seldom gets the love it deserves.
Government Jobs in the Middle Ages: 14th-century London
What were the kinds of jobs that medieval people did in a city government? A book from 14th-century London offers details about the positions and roles of civic officials in that city, ranging from the Mayor to Scavengers.
Corrupted Air and Water: Pollution in Medieval Cities
When poop and entrails filled the Thames. Dealing with urban pollution in the Middle Ages.
Peasant Kids at Work: Apprenticeship and Service in the Middle Ages
What trade should the child of a medieval peasant learn?
Imagining Microplaces: From Medieval into the Present
Exploring how thinking through microplace might open up new possibilities for historians, bringing together research, imagination, and varied tools for immersive, experiential analysis and interpretation.
Sanitation in Medieval Paris with Emily Hutchison
Just how dirty was medieval Paris? And what did people do with their waste? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Emily Hutchison about sanitation in the Middle Ages.
Medieval Apartment Buildings
We know that medieval cities could be crowded and space could be in short supply. There are even some places where people lived in what we would call apartment buildings.
How to go to the toilet, medieval style?
A history of not-so-private privies in the Middle Ages.
The 5 Most Common Jobs in a Medieval City
The five most common jobs were farming, carpentry, butchery, shoemaking and Church-related work.
Why Was a Scotsman Working as a ‘Cop’ in 15th-century Bologna?
How can this be, and what does it say about both medieval policing and the movement of people in the Middle Ages?
Top Ten Most Important Cities in the Medieval World
Here is our list of the ten most important cities in the medieval world – we looked for those that had enduring significance throughout the Middle Ages. Today, some of these places remain leading global centres, while others are mostly known for the countless tourists they attract.
Crafting Communities: Masons in Medieval London
A look at how misteries, guilds and fraternities worked to create a sense of community for the masons of medieval London.
Why did Bruges get a porpoise each year?
For about three centuries, the coastal town of Blankenberge would send to the nearby city of Bruges a porpoise. A new study examines this tradition and why it happened.
Were medieval cities greener? Urban agriculture in the Middle Ages
This article looks at the urban farmers of medieval France and discusses the roles of the gardens that were found throughout medieval cities.
Ravenna and Constantinople in the 6th-8th centuries
Judith Herrin addresses the status of Ravenna as the Byzantine Empire’s outpost in the West
Medieval Working Women: Their role in the trades of Southern France in the 14th century
This article provides an overview of the roles and place of women in artisanal guilds in late medieval southern France
The Two Towers: Crusader Acre and its Defences
The Accursed Tower and Tower of the Flies were the infamous defences of the city of Acre. Strange legends surround both towers, and they would prove to be formidable challenges to besieging armies during the Crusades.
Uncovering the people who lived in medieval Ypres
Unique research into skeletons from the 13th century aims to determine health status, origin and lifestyle
Medieval Alexandria: Life in a Port City
The article presents an overview description of medieval Alexandria, based on the integration of archaeological finds, Muslim historiography, and medieval travelogues, with Geniza documents.
Piped water supplies managed by civic bodies in medieval English towns
This article uses studies of individual towns, together with civic records and Leland’s Itinerary, to examine the sources and technologies of urban water supplies, the origins of civic piped water systems, their relationships to other local systems, finance, management and oversight.