Having a home in the fascinating historic town of Vejano, north of Rome, fueled Marcello Assandri’s curiosity about the history of the area. He has scoured the National State Italian Archive, the...
In recent years Longsword fighting, a once-forgotten martial art has experienced a modern resurgence across the USA. Referred to as German longsword, it traces its roots to the late Middle Ages , but...
Most folk have experienced the holistic satisfaction that comes after a good old bowl of stew, on a cold winter’s nights. However, this story tips traditional stew conventions on their head, as it’s...
Contrary to popular belief, medieval attitudes towards sex were often far from puritanical. Surviving sources, largely influenced by the Catholic Church, give a skewed impression of the era. In...
Medieval hoods were commonly worn across social classes, providing warmth and practicality. A distinguishing feature was the addition of a woolen cape , offering extra insulation. When the hood was...
Medieval dental hygiene debunked the misconception of poor oral health . Contrary to popular belief, our ancestors prioritized tooth care and believed that diseases could be spread through bad breath...
In medieval times , hand cleanliness was essential after a day of manual labor. While wiping hands on the ground was a common practice, water was the primary cleansing agent. However, water alone...
A seemingly ordinary cannon purchased for a mere £20 ($25) from a flea market in Hertfordshire, England, and repurposed as a decorative piece for a garden rockery has turned out to be a valuable...
Medieval knights are often portrayed as warriors who spent all their time fighting, wooing noble ladies, participating in tournaments and battling their enemies. However, there was much more to their...
What was involved in getting dressed as a Medieval ploughman ? For farmers in the Middle Ages, conditions were harsh and the work backbreaking . But ploughmen were vital members of the medieval...
The Black Death , a pandemic that ravaged humanity in the Middle Ages, left a harrowing mark on history. Millions of people succumbed to the plague, and nearly half of Europe's population perished...
A Norwegian man made a unique discovery back in the 80s while he was digging out a water well. His daughter was recently cleaning the basement of his house when she rediscovered what turned out to be...
Medieval castles have always held a certain fascination for people, conjuring up images of knights , royalty, and grandeur. However, the reality of life in these fortresses was far from glamorous. In...
Imagine yourself standing on the front lines of a medieval battlefield , equipped with only a bow and arrow. This was the reality for archers during the Middle Ages, whose skills were often the...
Castles are iconic symbols of the Middle Ages, with their imposing walls, soaring towers, and intricate defenses. But how were these impressive structures built? And what does it take to construct...
A detailed examination of the skull of a woman who lived in central Italy in the medieval settlement of Castel Trosino more than 1,300 years ago has revealed something both astonishing and...
For over six decades, it was believed that two wooden objects discovered in Opole, Poland were pagan Slavic masks used in mystical ceremonies held in cemetery woods. However, recent research by a...
Construction worker at Lindisfarne car park in Northumberland , England, have uncovered a surprising discovery - a group of seven graves dating back to medieval times. According to Chronicle Live ,...
Most historians long ago concluded that Edward of Woodstock, also known as Edward the Black Prince , the heir apparent to the English throne who died at the age of 45 in 1376, fell victim to chronic...
Giles Gasper /The Conversation The great hall is one of the most enduring images from the Middle Ages – and with good reason. Surviving written sources as well as archaeological and architectural...
These days, sex is everywhere. It's in our books, films, songs, TV shows, and now, even our history articles. Although some countries still impose strict rules upon sex, the fact is most western...
There was no end to medieval creativity when it came to torture , punishment and humiliation! The ‘scold’s bridle’ or ‘mask of shame’ was a concept developed in medieval Europe to punish people,...
Many medieval manuscripts are works of art with devotional passages written in careful calligraphy, accompanied by vivid illustrations and ornate, decorative borders. But equally captivating is the...
The examination of urine (‘uroscopy’) as a method of medical diagnosis can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome, but during the Middle Ages the examination of urine samples by physicians became...