The chances of dying from violence in the Middle Age were seven times higher than it is today. It appears culture and state-formation plays important role.
Category: Medieval Research
The Merovingians
The Merovingians literally means “The People of Merowech”. But who was Merowech? And what does his name tell us about the first Frankish kings?
Cultural Consequences of the Justinian Plague
What were the consequences of the Justinian Plague in the 6th century? How did people react to the pain and suffering, which by all accounts were just as devastating as those in the 14th century?
Culture and Identity in the Early Medieval Fenlands
New studies of the use of the fluid landscape in the Early Medieval Fenlands point to a continuity in the settlement-structure from pre-Roman times
Rendlesham – An Anglo-Saxon Royal Palace Near Sutton Hoo
Rendelsham is located five km north-east of Sutton Hoo and known as an early Anglo-Saxon emporium. Recently a royal mead-hall was discovered there
The Origin of Ambling Horses
Icelandic Viking horses are known for they ambling gait. Following the gene, scientists now suggest that the first Icelandic horses were in fact English
A Lost Tribal Hidage?
Bede used charters and other written documents while writing his histories. Careful sifting of the evidence reveals that he also used a now lost "Tribal Hidage".
Chartered Landscapes and Networks
Medieval charters are valuable resources for writing local histories of landscapes and lives. But they are also useful when studying networks through time
Salmon Suffered from Medieval Water Mills
Salmon declined severely after 1400. New study demonstrates that the culprit was the explosion in vertical water mills and not overfishing or contamination
New studies of DNA on the Turin Shroud?
The Turin Shroud is one of the most contested relics in Christianity. New article (2016) calls for renewed studies of the ancient DNA in the blood-stains
The Economics of the Black Death
How come the economy did not ground to a halt after 1349 - 50, but rather witnessed growth? New article aims to shed light on this conundrum
Medieval Famine and Frailty in London
Medieval Famines occurred from time to time. The question is whether some individuals were more prone than others to outlive a period of harsh conditions.
The Black Death was a True Disaster
New path-breaking research not only shows that the Black Death was as calamitous as previously thought, but also opens up for micro-mapping of the events
Migrations and State Formation in the Early Middle Ages
Did migrations in the Early Middle Ages always lead to state-formation? No, it appears prior administration in the differing end-regions decided the outcome
Migration Period People on the move
How should we understand the movements through Europe in the 5th and 6th centuries? New research into ancient DNA and Isotopes shed light on this question
Setting the Stage for the Black Death
Comparisons of mean survival rates show that when the Black Death hit in 1348, people's general health had for some time been deteriorating