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In the Middle Ages, medieval aphrodisiacs were a very important tool to ensure that husbands had enough lust to actually make love and male heirs.						Source: Giovannino de' Grassi / Public domain

Medieval Aphrodisiacs: Body Scented Bread Dough!

People in Europe in the Middle Ages boosted libidinal sexual intimacy through the use of medieval aphrodisiacs, some of which are truly bizarre. Dr. Eleanor Janega, a medieval historian based in...
A medieval cart of vegetables, now thought to be more representative of the Anglo-Saxon royal’s diet. 	Source: Dmytro Surkov/Adobe Stock

Forget the Pig Roast, Anglo-Saxon Royalty Were Largely Vegetarian, Says Study

It has long been assumed by historians that medieval English royals consumed a heavily meat-based diet. But a new bioarchaeological study proposes that, before the arrival of the Vikings, Anglo-Saxon...
The hoard of silver bracteate medieval coins found by a dog in Poland!                  Source: Dolnośląski Wojewódzki Konserwator Zabytków

Polish Dog Unearths Rare Booty of Revealing Bracteate Medieval Coins

Out on his daily constitutional, a dog in Poland unexpectedly struck gold, or rather, silver. The dog was being taken for a walk by his owner near the city of Wałbrzych in southwestern Poland when he...
Ancient City of Qalhat in Oman 	Source: derusu / Adobe Stock

1,000-Year-Old Ruins of Qalhat, Oman’s Ancient City

Qalhat, an ancient city located in a northeastern region of the country of Oman, has an interesting history behind it. Located just north of Sur, the capital of the Ash Sharqiyah South Governorate,...
A researcher holding the bollock dagger that was found at Ypres, Belgium.	Source: VRT

Dropped Your Bastard Sword? Then Whip Out Your Bollock Dagger

If you find the term ‘bollock dagger’ too crude, you could rightfully call this weapon a ‘kidney dagger.’ But that’s how the Victorians attempted to mask the true nature of this horrendous invention...
Henry supervising the beheading of his rival Peter, thus firmly establishing the House of Trastámara that was a blend of the powerful kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, who eventually overthrew the Muslims in Granada. A manuscript page from the Grandes Chroniques de France. Source: Public domain

The House of Trastámara: The Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon Take Spain

The House of Trastámara was a royal dynasty that ruled over Spain during the Late Middle Ages. The dynasty was a cadet branch of the House of Burgundy, and initially ruled over the Crown of Castile...
Researchers from Norway, France, Austria and England were able to use information from SK152 to reconstruct what she might have looked like. Source: Stian Suppersberger Hamre/FaceLab

Ancient Norse Teeth Plaque Helps Explain Pandemics

A team of Norwegian scientists have been tracking the evolution of diseases in medieval bodies. Not only have they added to the understanding of how diseases become pandemics, but they’ve revealed...
A rare iron arrowhead dating to AD 300-600 was found at Sandgrovskaret in 2018.	 Source: Espen Finstad/Secrets of the Ice

Reindeer Hunting Relics Found On Ancient Mountain Trail in Norway

Fittingly, archaeologists who explore landscapes exposed by glacial melt are known as glacial archaeologists. In 2018, a team of these specialized experts were dispatched to the ice-covered mountains...
Transylvanian Fortified Church in Harman, Romania. Source: Calin Stan / Adobe Stock

Sacred Defense in the Middle Ages: Transylvanian Fortified Churches

One would think that a church is a place of refuge, of spiritual comfort and protection - where violence has no place to exist. Usually, this is exactly the case and throughout the world churches are...
Hanging out in the margin of an illuminated manuscript

Beautiful, Decorative, and Sometimes Crude: Illuminated Manuscripts and Marginalia

Illuminated manuscripts are manuscripts that are covered with painted ornaments presented under several forms. These documents are perhaps most commonly associated with the European Middle Ages...
The gold and garnet sword harness pyramid found in Norfolk, England.

Sword Harness Pyramid With Rare Gems Unearthed In England

A UK metal detectorist has unearthed a rare 1,400-year-old Anglo-Saxon sword harness pyramid crafted in gold and garnet from India or Sri Lanka. This tiny, bejeweled treasure was discovered in April...
The Prophet Nathan’, depicted in the stained-glass of Canterbury Cathedral. Source: Canterbury Cathedral / UCL

Blood Stained Glass Panels At Canterbury Cathedral Saw Becket Die

The oldest known stained-glass windows in the world are traditionally associated with the late 11th century Augsburg Cathedral in Bavaria, Germany. Now, researchers from University College London (...
The skull of the man who died infected with an early strain of the bacterium that thousands of years later caused the devastating plague in medieval Europe. Black Death origins have now been pushed much further back in history because of this incredible scientific study.					Source: Dominik Göldner / BGAEU

Black Death Origins Linked To 5,000-year-old Latvian Man

The remains of an ancient hunter-gatherer unearthed long ago at the Rinnukalns archaeological site in Latvia, has tested positive for Yersina pestis, which is better known as the bacteria behind the...
Medieval People Were Reopening Graves, But Not to Rob Them

Medieval People Were Reopening Graves, But Not to Rob Them

In the Middle Ages being dead wasn’t a guarantee you would rest in peace. Researchers have found hundreds of examples of people re-opening graves in cemeteries from Transylvania to southern England...
The holy relics and reliquary of Saint Ivo of Kermartin (St. Yves or St. Ives; 1253–1303 AD) in Tréguier, Brittany, France.

Relic Cults: Why Dead Saints Were So Important in the Middle Ages

The practice of preserving and enshrining the remains of saints and heroes, or other items associated with their life or death, has been ongoing for thousands of years dating back well into the pre-...
Evidence Shows Stavanger Cathedral Likely Built Over Viking Settlement

Stavanger Cathedral Built Over Viking Settlement, New Evidence Suggests

Archaeologists digging below the floors of the spectacular Stavanger Cathedral on Norway’s southwestern coast unearthed new evidence revealing more about the church site’s complex past. While...
A young priest listens to confession.

Penitentials - Medieval Priests Had Handbooks to Deal with Sexual Deviance

Penance has played a prominent role in religions all over the world. And the interesting thing is there are documents spanning the globe which discuss penance and provide clear opportunities to find...
Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle - One of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine

Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle - One of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine

The Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle is a fortress located in the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi, in the western part of Ukraine. According to written sources, the city existed as early as the 12th century,...
Part of a Tudor wall painting inside the Charterhouse priory, Coventry, England. Source: Charterhouse Coventry

Medieval Charterhouse Rises from Decades of Neglect

With deeply-spiritual origins, and an important function in the religious framework of medieval England, Coventry's medieval Charterhouse priory was all but destroyed in the Reformation. But now,...
The Medieval Meme’ That Has Britain Excited

The 'Medieval Meme’ That Has Britain Excited

A silver badge which is described as the medieval equivalent of today’s popular meme phenomenon is one of the thousand or so antiquities that has been discovered by metal-detectorists in the UK over...
‘Bradford Tooth Fairy’ Solves Mystery of Medieval Priest Teeth

‘Bradford Tooth Fairy’ Solves Mystery of Medieval Priest Teeth

The ‘Bradford Tooth Fairy,’ a dentist turned forensic archaeologist, created a new method to discover details of ancient diets, just by looking at people’s teeth. She’s now applied her innovative...
Images of the MS. 632 birthing girdle. a) The dripping side-wound. b) The rubbed away green cross or crucifix. c) Tau cross with red heart and shield.  Source: Courtesy of the Wellcome Collection

New Birthing Girdle Study Answers Questions About Medieval Childbirth

In the Middle Ages, pregnant women allegedly wore a type of specially prepared wrap known as a birthing girdle. Birthing girdles were long, thin, rolls made from animal skin parchment. They were...
Medieval wooden catapult

Catapult: The Long-Reaching History of a Prominent Medieval Siege Engine

One of the most iconic images of the European Middle Ages is the castle. This defensive structure was often heavily fortified and provided its inhabitants with much-needed safety. It was usually...
A ‘Cult of Saints’ Meant Plentiful Sainthoods For Celtic Aristocracy

A ‘Cult of Saints’ Meant Plentiful Sainthoods For Celtic Aristocracy

Dark Age Britain was apparently full of “saints”…well, at least hundreds of people gained membership into the ‘cult of saints’ at that time. Up to 3-4 percent of aristocrats may have been awarded...

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