Where the Middle Ages Begin
If there seems to be something almost medieval about President Biden pardoning his wayward son Hunter, or Donald Trump promising to pardon the January 6 rioters, well… that’s because that particular prerogative originates with medieval kings.
Delve into the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages whose enduring legacies shaped the course of history. From visionary leaders and profound scholars to prolific writers and formidable warriors, these individuals left an indelible mark on medieval society.
Discover the 50 most significant events of the Middle Ages, spanning the years 500 to 1500.
Here are seven vivid facts about colour in the Middle Ages
In medieval times, many unique jobs, such as Ale-wife and Groom of the Stool, were essential but have since vanished. Discover these obsolete occupations and how historical changes led to their disappearance.
Are you wanting to talk more like someone from the Middle Ages? We have a list of 30 great sayings and proverbs that you can use in your conversations.
Have you wondered what a medieval king did on a typical day? Thanks to Christine de Pizan, we have an account of what daily life was like for King Charles V of France.
Some of our most popular phrases have a long history, including some that go back to the Middle Ages.
Want to know what kind of jobs there were in the Middle Ages? A unique source from the 15th century gives us some beautiful images of medieval people at work.
If you lived during the Middle Ages, what kind of things would you have? Here is a guide to some of the everyday items that a medieval person would have used or had.
A medieval silk seal bag, dating from the reign of King Henry III, has gone on public display for the first time in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey. Scholars have discovered that this rare artifact is a perfect match to the silk cloth used to wrap the remains of Emperor Charlemagne, who is buried in Aachen Cathedral in Germany.
If there seems to be something almost medieval about President Biden pardoning his wayward son Hunter, or Donald Trump promising to pardon the January 6 rioters, well… that’s because that particular prerogative originates with medieval kings.
The University of Sharjah hosted an astrolabe workshop in which western scientists showed participants how an astronomical instrument made by a medieval Muslim scholar nearly 1,000 years ago measured the altitude of the sun throughout the twelve zodiacal signs and told local time through the position of the sun in the ecliptic on a given day.
The bishop’s men plundered the king’s fortress. Then they threw a dead man into the well to poison it. Now we know more about the deceased.
An exploration of the Carolingian Empire’s collapse into civil war, focusing on the pivotal Battle of Fontenay in 841. This decisive conflict reshaped the political landscape of Europe, leaving a lasting legacy.
For medievalists and historians, the rebuilding of Notre-Dame offers a unique lens to explore the intersection of medieval craftsmanship, modern science, and cutting-edge research.
The five essays in this collection explore how the Crusades continue to serve as a powerful historical symbol within Far-Right extremism. This influence is evident in acts of terrorism, political movements like Brexit, and even in cultural phenomena such as the Assassin’s Creed video games.
Thomas Aquinas stands as a pivotal figure in the medieval history of Christianity. This biography of the 13th-century theologian, penned by one of the foremost experts on Aquinas, offers deep insight into his life and legacy.
Discover our new self-paced online course on the Second Crusade, designed to guide you through the rich tapestry of primary and secondary sources. Delve into the events that shaped the Crusade in the Near East, Iberia, and northern Europe, gaining a deeper understanding of this pivotal chapter in medieval history.
Could one of the most extraordinary feats of medieval metalworking have been forged with the help of the devil? The ironwork on the…
Discover ten free medieval articles from The English Historical Review as the journal celebrates the milestone of its 600th issue.
The University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History has launched a global study to uncover how people around the world perceive Viking warriors and the enduring legacy of the Viking Age. The Great Viking Survey invites individuals to share their thoughts on these iconic medieval figures and their influence in modern culture.
A recent discovery in The National Archives has shed new light on the enduring mystery of the Princes in the Towe
Known as the “Venice of the Pacific,” Nan Madol is a remarkable site consisting of over 100 artificial islets built with nearly a million tons of basalt and coral. New findings suggest that environmental pressures forced the city’s abandonment 600 years ago, offering important lessons for the modern world.
Lorcán Ua Tuathail, known in English as Laurence O’Toole, was a 12th-century Archbishop of Dublin. This book presents editions of four texts about his life, two of which are also translated into English
The recent exhibit Visualizing Camelot examined the enduring influence of King Arthur and his legendary court. What lessons does it offer about how medieval legends continue to shape art, culture, and imagination today?
When you walk into Notre-Dame de Paris, the air feels alive with echoes of the past. This iconic cathedral was more than a masterpiece of Gothic architecture—it was a giant musical instrument designed to bring medieval melodies to life.
We have a new online course: The Three Religions of Medieval Spain introduces nearly 1,000 years of innovation, collaboration, and conflict in the Iberian Peninsula (today’s Spain and Portugal) from 711 to the 17th century
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Alan Stahl about life in one of the richest cities in the medieval world, and the fate and fortunes a family who climbed the social ladder to the very top.
What’s new in medieval studies? Here are ten open-access articles published in November, which tell us about topics including rental disputes in Paris and Chaucer’s use of food.
Princeton’s Middle Ages for Educators (MAFE) team has been working to pull together the MAFE Open Access Resources (OAR) Sweet 16 competition featuring materials about the Middle Ages, and the voting is now open!
Studying medieval skeletons can help create specific health measures for different populations in the past, according to a recent study published in the journal Science Advances.
We have a new online course: Reading Beowulf – Explore this Old English epic in its entirety through a guided readings course that delves into this monumental work
Scientists have reconstructed European socio-economic cycles between 1250 and 1699 in unprecedented detail, by using the power of tree rings to reveal the exact age of more than 54,000 pieces of timber from historical buildings
An exploration of the Carolingian Empire’s collapse into civil war, focusing on the pivotal Battle of Fontenay in 841. This decisive conflict reshaped the political landscape of Europe, leaving a lasting legacy.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Alan Stahl about life in one of the richest cities in the medieval world, and the fate and fortunes a family who climbed the social ladder to the very top.
A conversation with Thomas Barfield about a distinctive category of empires that he has proposed in a new book, Shadow Empires: An Alternative Imperial History.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Karl Kinsella about the great twelfth-century scholar Richard of St. Victor, his efforts to make the vision of Ezekiel clear, and why this set of biblical blueprints is such an important contribution to the history of architecture.
King Henry III faces Simon de Montfort as England falls into civil war. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly talk about the Second Barons’ War, and why Henry and his son Edward lost a battle they should have won.
Experimenting, translating, and philosophizing about physics and metaphysics, biology and geology, two great thinkers from Central Asia stand out both for their achievements, and their completely opposite points of view. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with S. Frederick Starr about the work and the lives of Ibn Sina (aka Avicenna) and Biruni, their contributions to science and culture, and the reason they outright despised each other.
A conversation with Nancy Bisaha about the origins of the idea of “Europe” as a place of identity and not just geography. One of its first theorists was the Italian humanist Aeneas Piccolomini (later Pope Pius II), who was in part reacting to the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. The problem of whom to include and exclude as Europeans was there from the start. We talk about Aeneas himself and the siege of the City.