The famous royal seat at Avaldsnes on the West-coast of Norway is best known as the residence of Harold Fairhair, but excavations tell us about a splendid royal hall from the 13th century
Category: Medieval History
Medieval Fishing Village in Walraversijde
Close to airport of Ostend in Belgium lies a proper hidden gem, the Walraversijde archaeological site – a medieval open-air museum
The Garden of Martin Luther
“I have planted a garden and dug a well. Now, come and be crowned with a wreath of roses and lilies…”(Martin Luther 1525)
Medieval Gardens from 500 – 1500
Some may think that medieval gardens were all about cabbages, beans and medicinal herbs. But gardens also came to be intended for lush and frivolous play
Climate and Migrations in Early Medieval Germany
What role did the Early Medieval climate changes play in the creation of the post-Roman world? Did people migrate because of the cooling weather?
Medieval Hilltop Villages and Castles in the Italian Landscape
The history behind the castle-building on hilltops in the medieval Mediterranean landscape – the incastellamento or incastellation – is nuanced
The Plan of St. Gall – Ideal or Reality
One of the treasures from the Carolingian Age is the Plan of St. Gall - a design for an ideal monastery – from the 9th century.
Book of Hours of Richard III
Rumour has it this Book of Hours accompanied Richard III to the Battle of Bosworth. Later defaced by the mother of Henry VII, it has now been digitised.
Environment in the Classical and Medieval Worlds
Environmentalism covers the ancient idea that environments and climate influences our mentalities. New book offers an introduction
The Great Transition in the Late Medieval World
New book by Bruce M. S. Campbell on the Great Transition from 13th to the 16th century promises to be the new bible in environmental history
Syrian Drought Worst in 900 Years
The newly published Old World Drought Atlas was recently used to gauge the seriousness of the Syrian Draught, the like of which has not been seen for 900 years.
Geoffrey de Charny c. 1306 -1356
Geoffrey de Charny was the first documented owner of the Shroud of Turin and an accomplished knight, who wrote a famous handbook of Chivalry.
Trends at Kalamazoo
Medievalists in Kalamazoo seem out of sync with a public more interested in ‘Early Medieval history” and ‘Beowulf’ than Chaucer and literature
From Lejre to Roskilde
Around AD 1000 the royal seat in Lejre had lost its political power to the Jelling Dynasty, which founded a new royal centre at of Roskilde.
Odin from Lejre? Freya? Or Völva?
Is the silver figurine from Lejre representing Odin? Freya? Or perhaps a völva, a Viking sorceress? Many interpretations have been put forward
Medieval Natural Disasters and Resilience
Natural disasters in the Middle Ages were met with resilience in a number of different ways: migration, rebuilding, re-settlements.