Weaving Sails for Viking Ships?
24/06/2026A new excavation at Søften, near Lisbjerg, has revealed an extensive production environment that may have supplied Viking Age Aarhus with textiles and other craft products. Read more
Viking Age Textile Production
06/05/2022The story goes that a Viking learned to keep a stoic face if their ship was lost. However, if the ship sank together with the sails, he cried. New book tells the story of the production system and the economy of the textiles in Viking Age Society Read more
Viking Sails and How to Make Them
12/03/2014Roskilde 6 is the pitiful wreck, which clothed in stainless steel still amazes. The question is what effort it took to set sail… Read more
The Introduction of Sails to Viking Scandinavia
12/03/2014The textiles necessary to outfit a Viking boat carrying a 100 man required nearly 30 times more “girl-power” than “man-power”. Further it created a whole new Scandinavian landscape characterized by heath grazed by sheep. Read more
Lisbjerg Church and Manor ca. 950 – 1200
13/04/2019The medieval church in Lisbjerg dates to c. AD 1100 – 1150. However, a predecessor in the form of a wooden stave church was built as part of a fenced manor c. 1000 – 1100. Read more
The Golden Altar from Lisbjerg
13/04/2019The Lisbjerg Altar belongs to a group of eleven golden altars from c. 1100 – 1200 Scandinavia. Two remain in their original surroundings, while five are kept in the National Museum in Copenhagen, and four more abroad. Read more
Viking and Medieval Halls
02/04/2019From Late Antiquity to the High Middle Ages, halls were the central focus of elite residences in Northern Europe Read more
Winiþharjaz of Vindelev – A Military Leader in Fifth-Century Denmark
18/02/2026The village of Vindelev in Eastern Jutland was presumably a gift to a Vendish military commander, who operated east of Vejle in the middle of the 400s. An impressive gold hoard opens up the world, in which he lived. Read more
The Golden Treasure from Vindelev
17/02/2026Travelling to Denmark in 2026? Don’t miss the opportunity to see the magnificent golden treasure from Vindelev, dated to around AD 450–49 Read more
Bracteates as Part of Rituals
14/03/2023Bracteates were thin golden sheets stamped with North West Germanic motifs. A recent overview shows how they were included in various rituals in Northwestern Europe ca. 400-600. Read more
The Oldest Odin Inscription in the World Discovered among the Vindelev Gold
13/03/2023In December 2020, an impressive hoard of gold bracteates, pendants and a scabbard mount was discovered. Dated to c. AD 335-540, the hoard is unique. Recently, the Runic inscription on one of the bracteates was deciphered, presenting us with the earliest Odin inscription. Read more
Italian Gothic in Catalonia: Jaume and Pere Serra
29/01/2026Fourteenth-century Barcelona was home to a number of flamboyant artistic workshops producing cartoon-like altarpieces for a wider market. Read more
In the Italian Manner: Spain and Mediterranean Gothic 1320–1420
29/01/2026In spring 2026, the Prado in Madrid will offer a spectacular exhibition inviting us into the artistic world of Mediterranean Gothic, 1320–1420. Read more
The Remains of Kings and Queens in Winchester
12/01/2026Since 2012, archaeologists and scientists have been poking through 1300 bones, the remains of kings, queens and bishops laid to rest in the mortuary chests in Winchester Cathedral. Read more
Biodiversity near Lake Constance in the Middle Ages
08/01/2026Pollen studies from the area around Lake Constance in southern Germany show that biodiversity increased dramatically after around AD 500, before reaching a maximum around the year 1000. The question is why. Read more
Greenland Was Part of Scandinavia – and Denmark – for a 1000 years
06/01/2026When Greenland was settled by Norse immigrants in AD 997, it was uninhabited. From the outset it became part of the Danish–Scandinavian world Read more
Putin’s Medieval Dream of Ruling an Empire
19/08/2025At his Alaska meeting with Trump, Putin made a curious demand that cut to the heart of the war: he wants to rule as Czar of a medieval-style empire “Mr. Putin also demanded guarantees that Russian should be an official language in Ukraine, and that security should be established to… Read more
The Altenberg Madonna
28/01/2026Altenberg Madonna Enters the Städel Museum: A Landmark Acquisition This morning, the Städel Museum announced what can rightly be described as a watershed moment for the study and appreciation of medieval art in Germany: the acquisition of the Madonna and Child Enthroned, known as the Altenberg Madonna. Dating from around… Read more
Medieval Embroidered Textiles in Whitework
26/07/2016While England is renowned for its Opus Angelicum embroideries, Germany is known for its tradition of Opus Teutonicum, worked with white or coloured linen or silk on bleached linen and used for altar cloths. New book tells the story of the textiles from Altenberg. Read more
The Convent at Altenberg near Lahn
26/07/2016The Convent in Altenberg may not in itself possess the treasures, which were amassed by the nuns in the High Middle Ages. But it is still worth a visit Read more
Heaven is on Display in Altenberg
25/07/2016This summer head for Franfurt and the Städel Museum, which shows a unique reunion of the Altenberg Altar and its liturgical treasures from c. 1300 Read more
1250 Years in Westphalia – an Exhibition
25/05/2025Westphalia celebrates 1250 years of its history and remembers the Saxon Wars and its Carolingian heritage Read more
Battle at Braunsberg AD 775 and new Exhibition at Höxter
25/05/2025In 775, Charlemagne dispatched an army into Saxony, part of which ended in the battle at Braunsberg on the brinks of Weser in 775. Exhibition tells the story of the Saxon Wars from a local perspective Read more
Carolingian Wars in Saxony 772-804
23/05/2025The conflict between the Saxons and the Franks during the late 700s and early 800s wasn’t just a random clash. Inflamed by a missionary zeal, it resonates in the 21st century Read more
The Prince from Beckum AD 600
23/07/2016The Prince from Beckum in North Rhein-Westphalia from the beginning of the 7th century tells a story of a man who lived in a mixed cultural setting Read more
The Golden Treasure from Vindelev
17/02/2026Travelling to Denmark in 2026? Don’t miss the opportunity to see the magnificent golden treasure from Vindelev, dated to around AD 450–49 Read more
In the Italian Manner: Spain and Mediterranean Gothic 1320–1420
29/01/2026In spring 2026, the Prado in Madrid will offer a spectacular exhibition inviting us into the artistic world of Mediterranean Gothic, 1320–1420. Read more
Medieval trading vessel from 1410 discovered in the off Copenhagen
01/01/2026A 28-metre-long medieval trading ship has been discovered in the Sound off Copenhagen, making it the largest cog ever found in Northern Europe. Read more
Archaeologists Uncover Unusual Early Medieval Huts in Northwestern Poland
28/12/2025Wolin on the southern Baltic remains a Viking-Age enigma. Chronicles describe warriors and violent conflict between Danes and Slavs, yet archaeological discoveries reveal a thriving trading hub. Read more
Volcanic Climate Forcing and the Emergence of the Black Death (c. 1345–1348)
28/12/2025Around 1345, volcanic eruptions led to famine. Following this, the import of grain increased, ultimately leading to the Black Death in Europe. Read more
Early Medieval Glass from Venice
28/12/2025From Shards to Sea Routes: Glass Evidence for Venice’s Mediterranean Networks in the 7th and 8th Centuries Read more
New Research
Viking Ships and Fleets – How Large Were They?
25/06/2026Impressive new research sheds light on the size of the Viking fleets operating in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean between c. 750 and 1100. Read more
Norðvegr – Sailing the Coast of Norway Year 1000
12/02/2026For three years, the archaeologist Greer Jarrett and his crew sailed up and down the coast of Norway in an old clinker-built Viking boat mapping the maritime mindscape of the Northmen The Norwegian state, Norway, derives from the sailing route along the coast known as the Norðvegr. A recent paper… Read more
Medieval Birds of Prey Thrived on Human Waste
17/01/2025Birds of prey in medieval Britain relied far more heavily on scavenging human waste than previously thought, according to research that analyzed more than 30 ancient bird skeletons. Read more
Advent and Marian Devotion
03/12/2024Advent is a time for reflecting upon Mary, the Mother of God. One avenue is to contemplate the beauty of the Old English Advent Lyrics Read more
Thietmar of Merseburg 975-1018
01/01/2025Thietmar of Merseburg was bishop of the diocese of Merseburg from 1009 to 1018. Famous for his Chronicle, he was one of the most important historians of the Ottonian period Read more
Heinrich II, German King and Holy Roman Emperor 1002 – 1024
02/12/2024Heinrich II (973 (978)-1024) – famous for his foundation of Bamberg – was the last Ottonian to rule Germany and the Holy Roman Empire. Read more
Kunigunde – Ottonian Queen 1002-1024
02/12/2024The 10th-century German queens set their mark on politics in different ways. The last queen, Kunigunde, primarily played the role of dynastic bridgebuilder. Read more
A Glimpse into the Daily Life at the Court of Kunigunde and Heinrich II in Bamberg
01/12/2024Bamberg will host an important exhibition in the autumn 2024 focusing on the daily life at the imperial court of Henry II and Cunigunde Read more
Medieval Landscapes
The Wild Rabbits with the Long, Long Ears…
01/03/2025Rabbits share their history as on and off domesticated animals with the feral horses. Although living in the wilderness, they were very early on considered a nice supplement and hence “farmed” and domesticated for different purposes Read more
The Dark Ages: Nature’s Comeback in the Netherlands
09/10/2024In the period known as the Dark Ages (c. 300 – 700 AD), woodlands staged a remarkable comeback across Europe, including the Netherlands. Read more
Overwhelming Support for Rewilding and Release of Large Animals in the Oder Delta
03/02/2024Germans and Poles living in the Oder Delta strongly support rewilding and the introduction of large animals – including wolves and lynx, returning its landscape to its former medieval glory. Read more
The Vosges in the Early Middle Ages, ca. 400 – 750
31/01/2024In the Early Middle Ages, the Vosges were regarded as a wilderness – by elites, poets and priests. However, the ideas about how to live in and utilise this wilderness were contested. Read more
New Books about the Middle Ages
Viking Connections:
11/05/2026The Viking Age was a vibrant and complex period of movement and change, not easily grasped inside a set of fixed notions and ideas. A new book presents 32 papers presented at the Nineteenth Viking Congress in 2022 Viking Connections. Proceedings of the Nineteenth Viking Congress By Clare Downham, Fiona… Read more
Ibn al-Jawzi’s Political Thought in 12th-Century Baghdad
10/03/2026New book studies the relationship between political thought, preaching and emotions through the writings of Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 1201), a celebrated hortatory preacher in late Abbasid Baghdad. Read more
Late Medieval Female Subject Consciousness
04/02/2026Autobiographical writings was the inroad to identity formation among female mystics and authors. Late Medieval Female Subject Consciousness. Italian and English Mystics, Boccaccio, Chaucer, and Beyond By Stephanie Amsel Palgrave 2026 Late Medieval Female Subject Consciousness: Italian and English Mystics brings together disparate feminist theoretical approaches to explore the formation… Read more
The Kingdom of the Isles – and the Lords at Finlaggan
23/01/2026Excavated since 1987, Finlaggan on Islay, demonstrates how the medieval Kingdom of the Isles was on par with the rest of Europe in terms of political and cultural sophistication. Read more