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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...
As the Bulldozers Continue, Will the Recently Discovered Ruins of a Byzantine Church Be Lost Forever?
7 April, 2016 - 00:47 Natalia Klimczak

As the Bulldozers Continue, Will the Recently Discovered Ruins of a Byzantine Church Be Lost Forever?

During the preparatory works to build a shopping center in Gaza (Palestine), a group of workers discovered ancient ruins. Archaeologists have identified them as possible parts of a Byzantine church...
A painting depicting women inspecting silk, early 12th century, ink and color on silk, by Emperor Huizong of Song.
5 March, 2016 - 03:57 dhwty

The Legend of Leizu and the Origins of Luxurious Chinese Silk

Leizu (嫘祖), known also as Lady Hsi Ling Shih (西陵氏) is a legendary figure in Chinese history credited with the discovery of silk and the invention of the silk loom. Silk is undoubtedly one of the most...
Kanheri Caves, Mumbai
19 January, 2016 - 14:44 Mark Miller

Shelters from the Storm: More Ancient Buddhist Caves Found in Mumbai

Seven caves that served as shelters from monsoons for Buddhist monks more than 2,000 years ago (and even into the 1990s) have been discovered in the forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in...
Piwo pijacy mnisi (Beer Drinking Monks), Olaf Simony Jensen
23 July, 2015 - 14:48 Alicia McDermott

Ancient Monastery Recreates Beer Based on Historic Recipe by British Soldiers

The Strahov Monastery in Prague, Czech Republic, has created a popular new beer based on a historic recipe. The Times of India report that they call it the Sv Norbert India Pale Ale and it is based...
Sokushinbutsu - The ancient Japanese monks mummified to death
9 November, 2014 - 22:16 aprilholloway

Sokushinbutsu and the ancient Japanese monks that mummified themselves to death

Over 1,000 years ago, a practice was pioneered by a Japanese priest named Kukai, which was intended to demonstrate the ultimate act of religious discipline and dedication – self-mummification. The...

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