The Vikings used sailing boats, known as knarrs, for their long-distance oceanic travels. Introduction Misconceptions about the...
Middle Ages
Famine was commonplace and social hierarchies were often brutally enforced. Introduction Medieval cuisine includes foods, eating habits, and...
Just as in modern literature, it is a complex and rich field of study, from the utterly...
Knights were the most-feared and best-protected warriors on the medieval battlefield. Introduction The knights of medieval Europe were meant...
The Carolingian kings and emperors dominated the politics but faced constant challenges to their rule. Introduction The Carolingian...
The Chronicle of Widukind, from around 970, relates how Harald ordered the rejection of the old gods....
The Bardo Thodol was written to be read to the spirit of the deceased. Introduction The Tibetan Book of the...
The Holy Roman Empire only turned into an imperial juggernaut under the strongest of emperors. Introduction The Holy...
Jews were accused, providing an excuse for local authorities to attack both Jewish and leper communities. Introduction...
A typical military confrontation in medieval times was for one side to lay siege to an opponent’s...
Clothing in medieval Europe signified class, gender, and social hierarchy. Introduction The Medieval period in England is usually classified as the...
Their emphasis on being well-groomed and dressed reflected the value of the larger culture. Introduction Although the Vikings are...
Medieval demography relies on various lines of evidence – administrative records, wills, archaeological field data, economic data,...
Looking at the ways survivors of past pandemics tried to celebrate the triumph of life amid widespread...
In 2019 there were an estimated 40 million people worldwide subject to some form of slavery, 25%...
The taking and sale of captives was a fundamental aspect of Viking activity both within and outside...
For pagan Northmen, elves, dwarves, and other mystical beings were very real. By Irene Manea Introduction Elves...
Durham Cathedral is one measure of the swift and profound transformation brought about by the Norman Conquest...
The significance of Tours can be found in the circumstances occurring in the wake of Charles’s quick...
The military past of the Ottoman Turks is relevant even in the modern world. Introduction Spanning across...
There is a lack of precision about what “colonial medicine” is or was. Abstract Colonial medicine is...
Vikings were working their way up and down the river systems of Russia and Ukraine more than...
The ‘The Virgin of Vladimir’ is part of a larger story of the conversion of Kievan Rus’...
Recent archaeology has deepened understanding of other ship designs made for coastal sailing and frequent portaging. In...
In the fifteenth century, the Portuguese embarked on an extensive mission to explore new maritime routes. Introduction...
Bubonic plague killed more than 25 million people, or at least one third, of Europe’s population during...
An intriguing look into the medical practices of Europe some 600 years ago. As the world grapples...
It is impossible to say exactly when in 1348 the plague burst the bubble of English exuberance,...
The ‘Two Swords’ – the emperor and the pope – stayed at each other’s throats over a...
Wealthy villeins increased in number, and it could come as a nasty shock when some rival or...