About.com

News Bits

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:41:26 +0000

A 10th-century queen, an 11th-century coin, and a fish story highlight this week's news.

Medieval medallion found in baby shark in Malaysia
The medallion may have been worn by a Portuguese soldier in the 16th century. A housewife in Malacca discovered it while cleaning the fish she'd bought at the market. Article at M&C.
Queen Domaslava, oldest Croatian ruler living in 10th century
It's the oldest found evidence mentioning a name of a Croatian queen. Item at Croation Times.
Ancient Byzantine wall damaged to make hotel
Unsettling news from Istanbul, where population pressure demands construction -- but at what cost? Article by Ömer Erbil at the Hurriyet Daily News.
'Unique' 11th Century coin discovered near Gloucester
A silver coin from the reign of William the Conqueror was discovered by a metal detectorist. Item at BBC News.
Lombard cemetery unearthed near Udine
Thirty tombs and numerous artifacts were uncovered in the northern Italian region of Friuli. Article at Archaeology News Network.

Follow me on Twitter
Visit me on Facebook

This Week in Medieval History

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:36:19 +0000

In the week of February 20th in the Middle Ages, Ibn Battutah was born, Amerigo Vespucci died, and the public trial of Joan of Arc began.

Read Full Post

Books of Hours

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:33:26 +0000

You've seen me wax rhapsodic about the extraordinary art to be found in the Book of Hours known as Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry....

Read Full Post

In the News

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:19:32 +0000

This week there are stories concerning the digitization of medieval documents, a priceless work of art returned, and, of course, archaeological discoveries.

16th Century Spoon Found in Little Paxton St Neots
If you've got a spoon that looks like this... well, it's probably not a priceless artifact and you should think about throwing it away. But this spoon dates to the 16th century, which makes it very cool. Brief item by Joanne Oxenham at AboutMyArea includes a very sharp photo.
Building work unearths Viking weapon
An "H-sword" has been discovered on a construction site in Melhus. Very brief item at The Foreigner.
New Database For Islamic Documents From The Middle Ages
The database is being created at Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany, and will contain Arabic documents from the 8th to the 15th century C.E. Article at the Eurasia Review.
Grave discovery
Ten medieval graves have been discovered at St Giles' Church in Pontefract. Article at the Pontefract and Castleford Express.
Looted by the Nazis, a Romanino is returned
Romanino's painting of Christ Carrying the Cross was plundered during WWII. Fascinating article by by Paul Jeromack at Artnet.
York researchers delve deep into digital archives
Historic documents, including charters recording legal transactions of all kinds, are currently being digitized, and a team of historians, archivists and computer science experts are developing ways to effectively access and work with the documents and their contents. Feature by Nadia Jefferson-Brown at The Press, York, England.

Follow me on Twitter
Visit me on Facebook

This Week in Medieval History

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:01:10 +0000

In the week of February 13th in the Middle Ages, Orderic Vitalis was born, Catherine Howard was executed, and the Knights Hospitaller were formally named and recognized.

What happened today?

Henry the Fowler

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:32:46 +0000

In the early 10th century, Henry the Fowler became Duke of Saxony, then King of Germany. But he didn't become emperor -- although he consolidated a large part of what would be called the "Holy Roman Empire." That would be a title his son would have to take.

Find out more about Henry the Fowler in his Who's Who Profile.

This Week in Medieval History

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:19:55 +0000

In the week of February 6th in the Middle Ages, Thomas More was born, Hojo Tokimasa died, and Baghdad fell to Mongol invaders.

What happened today?

Saladin

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:02:13 +0000

He founded a Muslim dynasty. He ruled Egypt. He captured Jerusalem from Christian crusaders. He kept some of the greatest warriors of the west from making any significant advances in the Third Crusade. He was Salah Ad-din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub: Saladin.

Find out more about Saladin, the greatest Muslim hero of the Middle Ages, in these resources:

Follow me on Twitter
Visit me on Facebook

Saint Dominic

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:59:50 +0000

Born and educated in Spain, Domingo de Guzmán traveled through much of France, preaching and standing up against the Albigensian heresy. He came up with this idea that Catholic ...

Read Full Post

Nicolau Copernicus

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:27:22 +0000

Medieval astronomers worked from Ptolemy's theory that the earth was the center of the universe, and that everything revolved around it. But back in the 3rd century B.C., Aristarchus of ...

Read Full Post