13+ hour, 14+ min ago   (340+ words) Archaeologists have completed a major study of an early medieval village and 122 burials discovered near Bern, Switzerland. Dating from the sixth to ninth centuries, the site offers rare evidence of how people lived, worked and buried their dead during the…...

18+ hour, 36+ min ago   (352+ words) Norman Sicily is famous for its extraordinary blend of Christian and Islamic architecture, but many of its most distinctive features can be traced to Fatimid Cairo. Dawood Mirza explores how architectural ideas crossed the Mediterranean and religious boundaries during the…...

1+ day, 9+ hour ago   (862+ words) Soap-making was a well-established craft in the Middle Ages, but what exactly went into medieval soap? A fourteenth-century English recipe provides remarkably detailed instructions, using ingredients ranging from sheep tallow and oak ashes to salt and wheat flour. Among these…...

3+ day, 18+ hour ago   (651+ words) The Bayeux Tapestry has gone on public display at the British Museum. The opening has become a major cultural event, with enormous demand for tickets and extensive coverage across the British and international media. The exhibition opened to the public…...

4+ day, 48+ min ago   (623+ words) Archaeologists working near Samarkand in Uzbekistan have uncovered the remains of an eighth-century palace complex within the fortified citadel of the medieval settlement of Mingtepa. The discovery, which includes pieces of sculpture found inside a large hall, could offer new…...

5+ day, 18+ hour ago   (285+ words) 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. Until recently, there were very…...

5+ day, 21+ hour ago   (701+ words) One of the Netherlands’ most important early medieval archaeological finds has undergone a major restoration, bringing together pieces discovered over more than half a century. The Wijnaldum fibula, an elaborate gold and garnet brooch dating to around AD 600, is now…...

1+ week, 18+ hour ago   (643+ words) Medieval chroniclers sometimes borrowed entire passages from earlier works, adapting old words to describe new people and events. Christopher Berard examines this understudied practice and shows how such borrowing could be more than a shortcut, allowing writers to draw meaningful…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago   (776+ words) More than 1,050 years after his death, Emperor Otto the Great has once again been laid to rest in Magdeburg Cathedral. The medieval ruler’s remains were placed in a specially designed titanium coffin and ceremonially reinterred on September 1, bringing a major…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (664+ words) Scientific analysis of a medieval silk garment preserved at Canterbury Cathedral has revealed that it was once decorated with gold. The discovery could also challenge the long-held belief that the luxury textile was produced in Spain, pointing instead to connections…...