medieval history

Medieval Cheater’s Dice With Double Fours and Fives Found in Norway

Six-sided dice date back nearly 5,000 years to ancient Persia, so finding 600-year-old dice in Norway isn’t anything special. But this recently discovered dice—with its conspicuously absent one-side and two-side—is unique, pointing to some Medieval-era shenanigans. This cheater’s dice was discovered at a dig in Bergen, Norway by archaeologists from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural…

Dead Medieval Woman ‘Gave Birth’ to Baby in Coffin

Italian archaeologists have uncovered a Medieval grave containing the remains of a woman and a fetus lying between her legs. It’s a grim example of a “coffin birth,” say the researchers, but there’s even more to this horrific Middle Ages tragedy than that. Archaeology is often a lot like forensics. Investigators come across a scene…

The Haunting Face of a Man Who Lived 700 Years Ago

This may look like a photograph, but the highly realistic face staring back at you belongs to a man who died over 700 years ago. The researchers who performed this unbelievable facial reconstruction say their work is providing new details about the way ordinary people lived in medieval England. This 13th-century man—dubbed “Context 958″—is one…

Medieval Skeleton Found Dangling From the Roots of a Fallen Tree

After a violent storm ripped through the Irish town of Collooney, locals were shocked to discover the remains of a 1,000-year-old skeleton hanging from the roots of a fallen tree. The body, which belonged to a young man who appears to have died a violent death, was found beneath a 200-year-old beech tree. In a…

Medieval Combat Has Been Turned Into An International Sport

For the past five years, medieval combat enthusiasts have gathered together for the Battle of Nations — a for-real, full contact competition with actual weapons, metal armor, and a standardized set of rules. It’s an effort to turn medieval combat into an actual sport. The Battle of Nations, founded in 2009, is held in a…

200 Skeletons Have Been Discovered Beneath A Supermarket In Paris

Archaeologists in Paris have found the skeletal remains of 200 individuals laid out neat rows in a communal grave. The site, once the cemetery of a hospital that operated from the 12th to 17th Century, is now a supermarket. The Monoprix Réaumur-Sébastopol supermarket called in archaeologists from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research…

Rare Medieval Manuscripts On Ancient War Machines Are Now Online

The British Library has just added several Greek manuscripts to its online collection, including a lavishly illustrated, 16th century compilation of treatises on warfare, which detail the science and tactics of siegecraft. Such ancient works on military machines were a source of fascination during this era, not only because of their historic interest, but also…

An 11-year-old Chinese boy has discovered a 3,000-year-old bronze sword in a river in Jiangsu Province. Archaeologists have dated the weapon to either the Shang or Zhou dynasties — the dawn of Chinese civilization. The 26 cm (10″) long sword appears to be of both decorative and practical use. A major dig is now planned…

Were Medieval Trials By Combat Like The Ones On Game Of Thrones?

Dr. Steven Isaac is a professor of medieval history at Longwood University in Virginia. In this essay, he puts the concept of trial by combat we see in Game of Thrones in a historical context. If you’re not caught up on the current season, there are spoilers below. Game of Thrones Trial by Combat: An…

Medieval Manuscripts Depict The Taxonomy Of Dragons

The British Library is commemorating St. George’s Day with an extraordinary gallery of dragon illustrations culled from its digitized medieval manuscript collection. The online bestiary reveals dragons in all their forms, ranging from the familiar Smaug variety to lizard-like animals with duck feet to winged leonine creatures. Dragons were near-ubiquitous in medieval manuscripts, serving as…

The Mysterious “Accidental Mummies” of Medieval Siberia

Russian archaeologists are once again digging at Zeleniy Yar, a remote excavation site near the Arctic circle. This same site produced nearly a dozen extraordinary mummies a few years ago — including unintentionally preserved corpses wearing copper masks. The researchers are now hoping to learn more about this mysterious northern community. Early last decade, Russian…

Why do knights fight snails in illuminated manuscripts?

The marginalia of illuminated manuscripts is weird. When monks weren’t complaining about their jobs as they hand-copied line after line, they were inserting fart jokes into the margins. But one weirdly persistent image is of knights battling snails. Why? https://gizmodo.com/medieval-monks-complained-about-their-jobs-in-the-margi-5896008 https://gizmodo.com/who-knew-illuminated-manuscripts-contained-so-many-fart-472867722 The British Library’s Medieval Manuscripts Blog discusses the various theories surrounding snail combat. The…

How did people dance 800 years ago?

So you’ve traveled back in time to Medieval Europe. But as you’re checking out the nightlife, someone takes you by the hand and asks you to join in on the dancefloor. What’s an unschooled time traveler to do? Here’s a quick primer on your best 12th century dance move. A book by historian Robert Mullally…

Badger Unearths Medieval Graves in Germany

A badger living near a farm in Germany picked an interesting spot to build its den: directly on top of a 12th century burial site that included two lords and a warrior. The people living on the farm began to suspect something after the badger tossed out a pelvic bone. A human pelvic bone. The…

Wanna buy a medieval castle? Now’s your chance.

Okay, sure — this run down castle in France doesn’t look like much. But just think, for a mere $680,000 it could be all yours! ALL YOURS! Located in Normandy, France, it’s an Anglo-Norman castle that was on the front lines in the wars between England and France during the Middle Ages. And now it’s…

Romanian archaeologists uncover medieval skeletons holding hands

Archaeologists working in Romania’s Transylvania region have discovered a young male and female skeleton from the late Middle Ages who were buried facing each other and holding hands. Locals have dubbed the couple “Romeo and Juliet,” but historians have their own take on the unique double burial. Researchers from the Institute of Archaeology and Art…