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Beaubec excavation of the Norman Monastery. Source: Beaubec Excavations / Fair Use.
2 August, 2019 - 19:01 Ed Whelan

Norman Artifacts Indicate Long-lost Monastery Has Been Found in Ireland

In Ireland a long-lost 13 th century monastery has been found along with a large number of medieval artifacts . Monastic farms and other buildings that belonged to French and Norman monks who had...
Ancient Volcanic Data - Ireland
5 July, 2019 - 08:15 Nathan Falde

Ancient Knowledge from Irish Manuscripts Used to Track Volcanic Activity and Climate Change

Using voluminous data left behind by our ancestors, modern scientists have discovered a correlation between volcanic activity and periods of bitterly cold weather in Ireland. They uncovered this...
The ruins of Bavikonda, Andhra Pradesh, India.
15 April, 2019 - 01:55 Ed Whelan

The Sacred Bavikonda Monastery: Vestiges of the Buddhist Golden Age in India

Of all the countries in the world, India has some of the finest examples of Buddhist history and heritage. One of the noteworthy sites is the sacred monastery of Bavikonda in Andhra Pradesh . It is...
One of the 40 monasteries on the Holy Mount Athos.
15 February, 2019 - 01:59 dhwty

Mount Athos – Garden of the Mother of God and Holiest of Holy Mountains to Some

Mount Athos, known also as the Holy Mountain, is a mountain located in Greece. The site is a semi-autonomous republic of Eastern Orthodox monks and is considered to be one of the holiest places of...
Medmenham Abbey.
14 December, 2018 - 22:48 dhwty

Medmenham Abbey: When the Monks Left Debauchery and the Hellfire Club Moved In

Medmenham is a village and civil parish located in Wycombe, a district in Buckinghamshire, England. The parish is best-known for its abbey, which was founded during the Middle Ages. As a monastic...
Illustration of a monk tending to a sick patient.
22 June, 2018 - 04:58 dhwty

The Incredible Medical Interventions of the Monks of Soutra Aisle

Soutra Aisle refers to a set of ruins in Scotland that were once part of a larger complex comprising a hospital and a friar. Excavations at Soutra Aisle have provided an extraordinary window into the...
Isle of May monastery ruins (Peter Yeoman) top left; Skeletal remains on May (Peter Yeoman/ British Archaeology Magazine); The foot bones of a teenager with syphilis (left). An enlarged skull, possibly due to hydrocephaly (right). (Images: Marlo Willows/British Archaeology) bottom left.
16 February, 2018 - 14:02 ashley cowie

Sick Children’s Skeletons Unearthed on Holy Healing Isle

The lost history of a sacred Scottish “healing island” has revealed its holy secrets in the skeletal dna of sick children, archaeologists in Edinburgh have announced. This string of majestical...
A photo of the Solovetsky Monastery
13 February, 2018 - 13:41 dhwty

The Tragic Fall of Solovetsky Monastery: From Religious Order to Labor Camp

Located on the Solovetsky Islands of Russia’s White Sea, the Solovetsky Monastery is a fortified monastic complex that dates back to the 15 th century. Initially, the monastery was home to a small...
Dried corpse hanging on the wall in the chapel at Évora
13 November, 2017 - 13:44 dhwty

The Macabre Capela dos Ossos: Why was it Decorated with the Dead?

When one thinks about the interior design of a place of worship, one generally includes statues of religious icons, paintings of important religious events, perhaps the odd stained-glass window and...
Himmerod Abbey and Church building
17 October, 2017 - 01:56 Theodoros Karasavvas

900-Year-Old German Monastery Forced to Shut Down Because of Monk Shortage

Himmerod Abbey, a Cistercian monastery that's existed for almost 900 years in what is now western Germany is closing down for good, due to running expenses and also a shortage of monks. Notably, the...
The Phugtal Monastery, India
7 August, 2017 - 22:57 dhwty

An 8-Hour Walk to Get Groceries: This Monastery is so Remote That Almost No One Has Heard About It

The Phugtal Monastery is a Buddhist monastery located in the Ladakh region of the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. This monastery was constructed inside a natural cave, and is considered...
Bodies of Ancient Monks Found in Sudan Were Stripped of Their Flesh Before Burial
24 January, 2017 - 01:45 Theodoros Karasavvas

Bodies of Ancient Monks Found in Sudan Were Stripped of Their Flesh Before Burial

More than 100 sets of ancient human remains have been excavated from four cemeteries near the ruins of a medieval Christian monastery in Sudan. Researchers were surprised to find that many of the...
Massive Cemeteries with Strange Burials Excavated at Medieval Monastery in Sudan
20 January, 2017 - 03:53 Theodoros Karasavvas

Massive Cemeteries with Strange Burials Excavated at Medieval Monastery in Sudan

Archaeologists have officially announced that four large cemeteries were unearthed near the remains of a medieval Christian monastery in Sudan. At least 123 individuals have been excavated so far,...
The French Brews Brothers: Benedictine Monks Bring a Traditional Brewing Practice Back to Life
3 January, 2017 - 21:47 Theodoros Karasavvas

The French Brews Brothers: Benedictine Monks Bring a Traditional Brewing Practice Back to Life

Between prayer, Gregorian chants, and spiritual contemplation, Benedictine monks of Saint-Wandrille monastery in northern France are now dedicating their spare time to producing France's only...
Earliest Remains of Monks, Who May Have Known King Arthur, Unearthed in England
6 December, 2016 - 00:45 Mark Miller

Earliest Remains of Monks, Who May Have Known King Arthur, Unearthed in England

It is conceivable that 5 th or early 6 th century humans, whose remains were recently excavated at Glastonbury in England, may have known King Arthur or St. Bridget—two towering figures of early...
Monks, Hermits and Ascetics: The Little-Known History of Women in Desert Asceticism
23 August, 2016 - 16:29 MartiniF

Monks, Hermits and Ascetics: The Little-Known History of Women in Desert Asceticism

Theodoret of Cyrrhus (423–457) tells us that when little girls played games in forth-century Syria, they played monks and demons. One of the girls, dressed in rags, would reduce her little friends...

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