The Dawn of the Age of Print and the Adult Coloring Craze in the 15th CenturyIts dizzy heights may have passed, but the fad for adult coloring books is far from over....
Middle Ages
Kahina: Early Medieval Berber Warrior-Queen Standing against Arab InvasionKahina’s life is only known through later Arab historians writing on the Muslim conquest of Africa. Introduction...
Guilds: Drivers of Manufacturing and Commerce in the Middle AgesGuilds dominated local politics and influenced national and international affairs. Introduction Guilds existed throughout Europe during the...
The Canon of Avicenna: Rabies in Medieval Persian LiteratureA discussion of Avicenna’s 11th-century points of view on rabies and compare them with modern medical knowledge....
The Hidayat: ‘Kabus’ (Night-Mare) in Medieval Persian Medicine and ResearchAmong the first three manuscripts written in Persian, Akhawayni’s Hidayat al-muta’allemin fi al-tibb was the most significant work compiled...
Machiavelli Wasn’t Machiavellian: Nuances between Compromise and ContradictionMachiavelli’s earlier book, Discourses on Livy, displayed strong support for free speech, a republican form of government, and compromise....
Medieval Mystic Margery Kempe and the Economics of Beer BrewingThis 15th-century mystic turned her hand to brewing the bubbly, and she wasn’t very successful. By Karl...
A History of the Medieval University of ParisThe historic University of Paris first appeared in the second half of the twelfth century. Introduction The...
Medieval Monasteries: Community Centers of Technology and EducationMonasteries were important centers of learning which educated the young and produced new technologies for agricultural and...
Late Medieval Translation of Ancient TextsDuring the fifteenth century, and notably in Italy, the art of translating was profoundly changed by Humanists...
“Woe Unto Those Who Know Not How to Syllabificate”: The Languages of Medieval LawLawyers spoke their own language, even in the Middle Ages. When John of Salisbury (ca. 1115-1180) decried...
The Kingdom of Hungary from the Year 1000The Kingdom of Hungary was at times a major power in Central Europe. Introduction The Kingdom of Hungary (short...
The Magyars, from Prehistory to Modern HungaryHungary’s traits are rooted in this a history of fluid borders, as well as the strong migratory...
Classical and Christian Conceptions of Slavery and Gender, and Their Influence on Germanic GaulRoman honor and shame became Christian virtue and shame. The Christian reinterpretation of the classical Roman dichotomy...
The Yazidi: Religion, Culture, and TraumaThe future of Yazidism is unclear, but it will certainly never be the same again. Abstract The...
Economic Relations Between Europe and the World in the Medieval and Early Modern ErasA vivid picture of the emergence of the global market and the beginnings of global competition. Introduction...
Following the Paths of Viking Raiders from Norway to North AmericaSome wanted to explore and plunder, but others simply wanted to discover more fertile lands to farm...
Viking Raids in EnglandAlthough the Vikings may have begun as little more than pirates in Britain, they would eventually arrive...
‘Murder Map’ Reveals Medieval London’s Meanest StreetsFirst digital map of the murders recorded by the city’s Coroner in early 1300s shows Cheapside and...
Citizen v. John Foreigner: The Politics of Inclusion in Medieval England’s Urban CentersJohn Medewall, bearing a very English-sounding name, describes himself as a foreigner, and as such at a...
Transparency in Medieval RulershipMonarchs and prime ministers have spent centuries working out which decisions need to be made in public....
The Strategic Importance of Byzantine ConstantinopleBuilt in the seventh century BCE, the ancient city of Byzantium proved to be a valuable city...
Plagues of the PastMany diseases have affected the outcomes of battles or the political leanings of a country, but few...
The History of Body Armor, from the Medieval World to TodayThere has been a true arms race, where every advance in body armor has required a more...
Siege Warfare in Medieval EuropeSiege tactics were a crucial part of medieval warfare. By Mark CartwrightHistorian Introduction Siege tactics were a...
The Medieval Law Merchant: The Tyranny of a ConstructMedieval commerce had little space for a specialized law, and merchants had little need for it. Abstract...
Perspectives on Translating Medieval Law: The Norwegian Landslov of 1274Strategies in translating the first national law-code of Norway, the Landslov from 1274, into English. Abstract This...
Empress Wu Zetien: Bloodthirsty Ruler or Bad Press?“She killed her sister, butchered her elder brothers, murdered the ruler, poisoned her mother,” the chronicles say....
Attila the Hun: A Ruthless ScourgeHis name was synonymous with terror among his enemies and the general populace of the territories that...
The Rise and Expansion of Islam in the Medieval WorldThe region had been freed from lingering influences of the Byzantine empire and was left to develop...