Where the Middle Ages Begin
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.
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.
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.
Archaeologists in Uzbekistan have uncovered an eighth-century palace complex at Mingtepa, along with sculptures that offer new insights into medieval Central Asia.
New research reveals how bear baiting spread in medieval England after the Norman Conquest, drawing on archaeology, written records and medieval art.
Trace the Book of Hy-Brasil from medieval Baghdad to Ireland and discover how a medical manuscript became the subject of an otherworldly legend.
The Fifth Crusade is often overlooked, even by those who study the Crusades. This book shows why its story deserves greater attention, offering valuable insights into the politics and warfare of the medieval Near East.
A medieval gold and garnet brooch from around AD 600 has been restored in the Netherlands, bringing together fragments found over more than 70 years.
Conservation work is underway on Visby’s medieval city walls in Sweden, helping to preserve the nearly 800-year-old fortifications.
The Bayeux Tapestry offers a vivid picture of medieval warfare, but how reliable is it? John France examines what it reveals about Hastings, weapons, armour and cavalry.
This online course, taught by James Barnaby, starts on September 16th, with live sessions each Wednesday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST.
Medieval chroniclers often borrowed from earlier texts, but their copying could serve literary and political purposes. Christopher Berard examines how writers reused the past to shape their accounts of contemporary events.
How the Anglo-Norman de Burgos became powerful Gaelic lords in medieval Ireland, adopting Irish laws and customs while battling for control of Connacht.
A guide to 30 medieval empires from across Europe, Africa and Asia, looking at their rise, expansion, greatest extent and eventual decline.
Emperor Otto the Great has been reburied in Magdeburg Cathedral more than 1,050 years after his death, following the restoration of his medieval tomb.
Saints and relics shaped political authority, religious life, and economic power in the Byzantine Empire.
Medieval manuscripts, including the York Gospels, have preserved DNA revealing the 3,500-year history of the deadly sheeppox virus.
Archaeological excavations at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum reveal medieval tanning and dyeing, hundreds of burials and nearly 2,000 years of history.
Sending a letter in late medieval Italy changed dramatically over the centuries. This book traces how an initially ad hoc system of messengers developed into increasingly organised and professional courier networks, eventually becoming a significant business in its own right.
This month sees three courses set to start, dealing with the Carolingians, the Angevins, and the Crusades.
Gold has been discovered in a medieval archbishop’s silk garment at Canterbury Cathedral, raising new questions about where the luxury textile was made.
Archaeologists in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, have uncovered more than 200 burials at the site of a medieval leprosy hospital and chapel.
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.
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.