In 1974 the historian Andrew Watson published an influential article in which he coined the phrase: The Arab Agricultural Revolution. How has this thesis fared? What do we know today about gardening in Early Medieval Iberia?
Category: Medieval Europe
Uppåkra – A Central Place in Sweden from the first Millenium
Uppåkra in South-Western Sweden presents a remarkable continuity. For more than a thousand years, the place functioned as a cultic, commercial and elite centre.
New Viking Ship at Gjellestad is Being Excavated
For the first time in more than a hundred years, archaeologists are uncovering what is definitely a buried Viking ship.
Sigtuna – a Powerful Political and Cultural Centre in Sweden c. 980 – 1200
The first town in Sweden, Sigtuna may have been the prominent crucible of the early Swedish nation state
Mälaren – the Heart of Svealand and Medieval Sweden
Mälaren near Stockholm my be a large freshwater lake. A thousand years ago, however, it was an open firth reaching from the Baltic into the fertile lowland of Central Sweden
UNESCO World Heritage 2019: Water Management System of Augsburg
Augsburg boasts of one of the first water management systems installed since Roman Antiquity. Built int he 13th century, it is now listed as World Heritage
Kings and Scribes: The Birth of a Nation
May 2019, a long-awaited exhibition at Winchester Cathedral will tell the story of the birth of the English Nation.
Medievalists and Heritage Specialists Caution Against Rushing to Rebuild Notre-Dame
The fire had not been extinguished, when President Macron announced his will to have Notre-Dame rebuilt inside five years. Medievalists are concerned.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Last night an incendiary firestorm swept through the roof of the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. What is the history of this iconic building? And how do we move on?
The Percy Hours and Percy Psalter from the 13th Century
About 200 years ago, a London book-dealer split in two a liturgical handbook from the late 13thcentury. While the Percy Psalter ended up in the British Library, the Percy Hours remained in a private collection. Now reunited, the beautiful manuscript will be displayed later this year.
The Golden Altar from Lisbjerg
The 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.
Viking and Medieval Halls
From Late Antiquity to the High Middle Ages, halls were the central focus of elite residences in Northern Europe
Early Medieval London c. 770 – 950
Londinium, Lundenwic, Lundenburh, London. Different names for the same place. At least, such was the belief until the late 20the century, when archaeologists could report that the history of the settlement was more complex.
The Thuringian Man from 6th Century Boilstädt
In 2013 archaeologists were engaged in surveying a site near Boilstädt leading to the discovery of two impressive warrior graves from c. AD 600.
Islamic Towers from the 12th century in Sierra de Segura near Jaen in Spain
In the 11thand 12thcenturies small “husun”, tiny castles and enclosures with towers, came to dominate the border region between western and eastern Andalusia. Since 2003, a project has worked to study and preserve these towers.
Medieval St. Paul’s Cathedral Destroyed in the Great Fire Reconstructed in VR
What would it have been like to enter St. Paul’s in the 17th century and hear John Donne preach to his congregation? A new project aims to reconstruct the medieval Cathedral in Virtual Reality to let visitors up close to the famous poet and preacher and hear his words and sermons sing out once more.