For students of the humanities…
Are you interested in the Middle Ages? If so, check out this artcle from English Heritage on some of their more ingenious (and a sometimes weird inventions). Some are a bit obvious (castles for defense), and some are a bit more obscure (the Medieval equivalent of toilets); but they all give you a look at how the… Continue reading Article: 7 INGENIOUS INVENTIONS OF THE MIDDLE AGES
Art theft is a serious problem, and many stolen treasures are lost forever (either sold to disreputable private collectors or destroyed). However, this article details an exception--a museum that was able to recover a stolen altarpiece. link to U.K. Museum Recovers 15th-Century Altar Panel Almost 50 Years After It Was Stolen
Even when we have documentation of the past, it can still be hard to figure out what actually happened. In this article from the BBC, the author discusses the particular issues that surround attempts to understand how European Medieval and Renaissance knights fought. In this case, there is a lot of documentation--more than 80 surviving… Continue reading Article: The Lost Medieval Sword Fighting Techiniqes No One Can Decode
The tartan (plaid cloth generally associated with Scottish clans) is an important part of Scottish history. According to the BBC, an example--potentially from the 16th Century--has been found in a peat bog in Scotland. Although the cloth looks plain, researchers have been able to use scientific analysis to determine it's original colorful nature. This discovery… Continue reading Article: Oldest tartan found to date back to 16th Century
People have long tried to explain stories about sea monsters. This article from CNN goes in an interesting direction as it tries to find an explanation that is palatable to modern science, while not discrediting the original sources. link to Sea monsters? This bizarre whale feeding technique may explain some ancient folklore
People have long studied the sky, and sometimes they are surprised and confused by what they say. The Medieval and Renaissance worlds are no exception to this. This article details several well documented incidents involving flying objects that have not been identified. link to The Mysterious 1561 Nuremberg Event ‘UFO Battle’
Are sea monsters real? Can someone "release the Kraken"? History and literature are filled with a myriad of stories about deadly beasts that sink ships and eat people. This article presents a theory that may explain as least some of the (less deadly and dangerous) stories. link to The Kraken: when myth encounters science
In the Ancient and Medieval worlds, a great deal of the trade (in goods such as silk, spices, and glass) was conducted via the Silk Road--a trade network that ran from Europe through Northern Africa, the Middle East and Persia, India, and eventually into China. This site gives some good background on the various routes… Continue reading Website: Silk Road-History of the silk road
Have you ever doodled in the margins of something you're writing? If so, then Medieval snail fights might interest you--yes, I said snails. The knight vs. snail motif is a recurring one in the margins of Medieval manuscripts, and researchers have yet to figure out why. However, this article from Smithsonian Magazine gives an interesting… Continue reading Article: Why Were Medieval Knights Always Fighting Snails?
If you are interested in Old English or the Middle Ages, then this may be the site for you. Although many of the resources require payment, there are a couple of interesting free options: the Old English word of the day and links to Medieval Resources. link to Old English Wordhord
Unfortunately, the degree to which women were involved in Medieval art and bookbinding has been lost to history. This article from ScienceAdvances details a discovery in the teeth of the remains of a Medieval nun that suggests women may have been more involved in the medieval arts than had previously been thought. Link to Medieval… Continue reading Article: Medieval women’s early involvement in manuscript production suggested by lapis lazuli identification in dental calculus
The place of women in art has been hotly debated for centuries (if not longer). This article from Hyperallergic attempts to redress that by examining represenations of women in Medieval art. link to Tracing the Lives of Women in Medieval Manuscript Illustrations
Unfortunately, not all art is valued all of the time. In Italy, the traditional villages and their traditional way of life were seen as old and tired in the first half of the twentieth century, and many people moved to the city for a faster-paced, hopefully more lucrative life. Things are changing now, and Italy… Continue reading Article: How Italy Is Bringing Its Rustic Villages Back to Life
There are several old sayings about history and its tendency to repeat. This article deals with paintings that showcase disease. Historical ailments, and the art that commemorates them, seem a little more relevant now that we've seen the affects of the Coronavirus. link to Plague in Art: 10 Paintings You Should Know in the Times… Continue reading Article: Plague in Art: 10 Paintings You Should Know in the Times of Coronavirus
While illuminated manuscripts were created in more times and places than Medieval Europe, the quality and beauty of the Medieval examples are undeniable. In this article from The Collector, you can get a look at 6 truly amazing examples. link to 6 Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts That Will Amaze You
Humanities Scholars 