Where the Middle Ages Begin
Historians have long argued that the comital office became hereditary under the Carolingians and Ottonians. David Bachrach examines the medieval evidence and challenges that assumption.
What everyday objects did people use in the Middle Ages? From clothing and household necessities to tools for work and warfare, these 25 medieval items were essential to daily life and shaped how people lived, ate, and survived.
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.
Historians have long argued that the comital office became hereditary under the Carolingians and Ottonians. David Bachrach examines the medieval evidence and challenges that assumption.
How astrology, omens, and prophecy influenced imperial power, political decisions, and religious belief in Byzantium.
Dartmouth College has acquired a rare illuminated medieval manuscript containing a copy of Edward I’s 1300 regrant of Magna Carta.
Archaeologists at Loburg Castle in Germany have uncovered early medieval fortifications, pottery and other finds dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries.
Archaeologists at Govan Old in Glasgow have discovered evidence of an early medieval jewellery workshop, including an unfinished shale finger ring.
A rare 14th-century gold seal ring discovered by metal detectorists in England could have belonged to Matilda of Lancaster, Countess of Ulster.
Six lost pages from Nicholas Love’s medieval bestseller Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ have been rediscovered and linked to a manuscript at Yale.
A new study finds that medieval monasteries helped drive the rise of England’s wool economy, as sheep farming expanded from the seventh century.
Researchers have decoded inscriptions on cargo from the 1323 Sinan shipwreck, revealing how merchants tracked goods across medieval East Asia.
Discover how medieval people used magic in everyday life, from healing charms and protective amulets to divination, astrology and finding lost objects.
Archaeologists investigating a medieval tower in Nantes have dated it to the 15th century and uncovered new evidence about the city’s defences.
Seventeen medieval manuscript fragments reveal what people were reading in Guernsey, from Ovid and Mandeville to French literature and biblical texts.
What can castles tell us about the people who built them and the societies they sought to defend? Nicholas Morton reviews Dan Jones’…
Researchers in Germany have reconstructed 26 medieval paintings hidden for more than 650 years using multispectral imaging and 3D modelling.
Gibraltar’s medieval Moorish Castle reopens following major restoration work, offering visitors new access to its 14th-century Tower of Homage.
Archaeologists reveal an early medieval village and 122 graves near Bern, Switzerland, offering new insights into life from the sixth to ninth centuries.
Discover how the architecture of Fatimid Cairo influenced the churches, palaces and artistic culture of Norman Sicily during the Middle Ages.
Tithes, parish boundaries and new chapels could spark conflict between medieval priests. Explore three disputes from the 10th century and how they were resolved.
Explore a 14th-century English recipe for medieval soap, made with sheep tallow, oak ashes and other ingredients, and discover how the process worked.
In 16th-century China, a vast encyclopedia brought together knowledge about medicine and the natural world. This book gives you a taste of this fascinating work and its remarkable range of subjects, from soybeans and dragons to poisons and ice.
Archaeologists in Florence have uncovered medieval city walls, a 14th-century bridge and gateway structures that may have a connection to Giotto.
Finland’s largest known Viking Age coin hoard has been discovered near Sysmä, with thousands of silver coins weighing about 4.5 kilograms.
The Bayeux Tapestry exhibition has opened at the British Museum, drawing huge crowds and widespread coverage from media around the world.
Get an inside look at the British Museum’s Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, including how the famous medieval embroidery is displayed, what you’ll see and what to expect.
What can castles tell us about the people who built them and the societies they sought to defend? Nicholas Morton reviews Dan Jones’…
King Richard III faces Henry Tudor in one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss the Battle of Bosworth and how the identification of its battlefield has offered new insights into how the fighting unfolded.
As the Hundred Years’ War entered its final chapter, England and France fought for control of Normandy. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly examine the road to the Battle of Formigny and its decisive impact on the war.
A conversation with Christopher Bonura about the apocalyptic tradition of identifying the Four Kingdoms prophesied in the Book of Daniel. Which one was the Roman empire? The fourth, scheduled to fall with the others, or something that came afterward (a tradition sometimes called imperial eschatology)? Among other topics we discuss Eusebios of Caesarea and the reign of Herakleios as possible turning points in this tradition.
One of the pivotal battles of the Crusades, the Battle of Hattin was shaped by both brilliant strategy and disastrous decisions. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly explore how Saladin orchestrated a crushing defeat of the Crusader army, while also sharing insights into the film Kingdom of Heaven.
In the latest Q&A episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly answer questions about infantry vs cavalry in late medieval battles, will there be archaeological excavations at Hundred Years’ War battlefields, favourite centuries and what our hosts will be doing this summer.
A conversation with Jeremy Swist on the emperor Julian (361-363 AD) and how he tried to combine his love of philosophy with ruling the Roman Empire. We talk about why Julian continues to excite such passions, how in some ways he may have been more Roman than Greek, and how he read Roman history in light of the theurgical Neoplatonism that he espoused.