About Medieval History

Templar stone?

2009-10-27T19:10:57Z

A mysterious stone uncovered in Midlothian, Scotland, may have a connection to the Knights Templar. Discovered by Crispin Phillips in the process of repairing a wall, the stone is covered with unusual symbols and appears to date to about the 13th or 14th century. Because the ruined chapel where the stone is located was part of an abbey founded by the Templars, scholars think the carvings may relate to the Templar organization, though no one has yet been able to figure out what they mean. Find out more in the article by Claire Smith at the Scotsman, which includes some nice photos.

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Templar stone? originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 19:10:57.

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The Battle of Agincourt

2009-10-25T14:23:57Z

On October 25, 1415, a famous battle of the Hundred Years' War took place between English forces led by Henry V and a much larger French army at Agincourt, France. For centuries, this battle has been examined, reexamined, dissected and reconstructed by French and English historians alike.

This week The New York Times has an article about how historians have "reassessed" the Battle of Agincourt. Though I find the comparisons drawn between medieval foreign wars and current conflicts interesting (but not surprising), I was a little bemused to learn that a group of historians "now take a skeptical view of the figures handed down by medieval chroniclers."

What, only now?

Medieval chroniclers were notorious for inflating the numbers of participants in the battles they reported. Those numbers have always been taken by modern historians with a grain of salt, and have usually been tempered by archaeological discoveries and the data gleaned from period documentary evidence. In the case of Agincourt, it has long been known that the English representation of Henry's forces was minimized and that of the French forces was inflated to make their victory over a larger force appear particularly remarkable. So, while the recent "reassessment" may bring us closer than ever to more accurate numbers on both sides, the fact that the disparity wasn't nearly as great as the medieval chroniclers said doesn't really surprise me. Does it surprise you?

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The Battle of Agincourt originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 14:23:57.

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Conquest

2009-10-14T01:41:18Z

On October 14, 1066, William of Normandy fought King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, beginning a new era in English history. What events led to such a historic turning point? Who were the people involved? And what happened after the battle? Find out in this feature by your Guide, and test your knowledge in The Quest for Conquest Quiz.

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Conquest originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at 01:41:18.

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Is it a Leonardo? A fingerprint says "maybe."

2009-10-13T02:08:13Z

When Peter Silverman purchased the painting titled "Young Girl in Profile in Renaissance Dress" for �12,000 at a Christie's sale, he suspected its description as "German, early 19th century" wasn't precisely accurate. Now his suspicions appear to be confirmed. Carbon dating and infra-red analysis of the artist's technique are consistent with the work of Leonardo da Vinci, and if this is so, the painting could be worth �1 million. But the most convincing evidence could be a fingerprint found on the work, which techs at a Paris laboratory found "highly comparable" to a print on Leonardo's painting of St. Jerome.

Find out more:

Leonardo da Vinci picture 'worth millions' revealed by a fingerprint
Article by Stephen Adams at the Telegraph
Unrecognised Leonardo da Vinci portrait revealed by his fingerprint
Feature by Ben Hoyle at the Times Online
Portrait Is Da Vinci Work, Print Shows
Item at AOL News includes "Da Vinci Discoveries" slide show
Fingerprint points to $19,000 portrait being revalued as �100m work by Leonardo da Vinci
Extensive examination at the Antiques Trade Gazette

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Is it a Leonardo? A fingerprint says "maybe." originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 02:08:13.

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Happy Columbus Day!

2009-10-12T01:02:57Z

If you've got the day off from work (or if you're unable to go to the bank), here's the guy to thank (or blame): Christopher Columbus. At least, this might be what Christopher Columbus looked like. No contemporary portraits are known to survive from Columbus' lifetime, so through the centuries artists have been free to represent him in a variety of ways. Have a look at some artists' interpretations of the visage of Christopher Columbus in our new Columbus Image Gallery, and find out more about him in his Who's Who Profile.

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Happy Columbus Day! originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 01:02:57.

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Ritual pits discovered in Bulgaria

2009-10-08T01:05:52Z

Archaeologists have discovered more than 50 unique pits dating to the 12th century near the village of Sedlare in southern Bulgaria. The pits are believed to have been used for rituals in which burnt stones, ceramics, metal and meat were placed within them. Find out more in the item at BalkanTravellers.com.

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Ritual pits discovered in Bulgaria originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 01:05:52.

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Scientist recreates the Shroud of Turin

2009-10-07T14:49:28Z

Using only methods and materials available in the Middle Ages, Luigi Garlaschelli, professor of organic chemistry at the University of Pavia, has created a shroud that is very close in appearance to the relic in Turin Cathedral. The process involved placing a linen sheet flat over a volunteer, who wore a mask, and then rubbing the sheet with a substance containing pigment and acid. The sheet was then heated in an oven and washed. When blood and burn holes were added, the result was remarkably similar to the Shroud of Turin.

Trade in holy relics was lucrative in medieval Europe, and amidst the genuine articles were numerous fraudulent creations. The Shroud of Turin may be one of the fakes, and has never been confirmed as authentic by the Catholic Church. In 1988, carbon dating tests placed the origin of the Shroud to between 1260 and 1390. However, the tests have been challenged (some say the material tested was a medieval patch and that the rest of the shroud is much older) and faith in the Shroud remains strong. Professor Garlaschelli noted, "If they don't want to believe carbon dating done by some of the world's best laboratories they certainly won't believe me."

Find out more in the article at BBC News or the feature by Philip Pullella, Reuters, which includes a useful comparison photo and is made available at MSNBC.com.

Medieval Christianity
Medieval Italy

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Scientist recreates the Shroud of Turin originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 at 14:49:28.

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Lost legs found

2009-09-30T23:55:25Z

In 1925, the top part of a sandstone carving of the Buddhist deity Hevajra was discovered by French archaeologists near Angkor Thom, the walled city of King Jayavarman VII. This summer, a British archaeologist seeking the site of the discovery found the legs of the 12th-century statue. Scientists are excited by the prospect of further discoveries, and hope the legs will be reunited with the bust, which is currently on display in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Find out more in the article at Trak.in News, and get a look at the Bust of Hevajra at the Met.

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Lost legs found originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 23:55:25.

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Anglo-Saxon hoard of gold and silver the biggest ever discovered . . .

2009-09-26T22:50:02Z

. . . . . and it was a metal detectorist who discovered it!

You've no doubt read plenty of recent reports of metal detector enthusiasts who've discovered coins, rings, buckles, jewelry, and other items of archaeological and historical interest. For the people who make these finds, and the people who own the land they're found on, it's usually a lucrative endeavor, and sometimes a life-changing one. Well, the find made in July by 55-year-old Terry Herbert of Staffordshire really takes the cake: it's estimated -- conservatively -- to be worth at least one million pounds.

Found buried beneath a field in Staffordshire -- which is the center of what was once the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia -- the hoard of about 1,500 pieces weighs over 10 pounds and is believed to date as far back as the 7th century. Pieces include coins, helmet decorations, parts of swords and scabbards, Christian crosses, and a strip of gold with a biblical inscription in Latin that had been bent into folds. Scholars think the cache may have been plunder, as there was no trace of a building or grave. Altogether, the hoard is about three times that of the treasure discovered at Sutton Hoo in 1939.

Currently on display at the Birmingham Museum, the hoard will later be moved to the British Museum, where it will undergo months of close study.

Check out the article by Maev Kennedy at the Guardian, which includes a video of Terry Herbert (who describes himself as "absolutely gobsmacked") with part of his discovery.
Visit the feature by John F. Burns at the New York Times, which has some very nice photos.
View some stunning photographs and download a pdf catalog of the objects at the Staffordshire Hoard official site.
Get more info about the find and the exhibition at the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery site.
Check out the Staffordshire Hoard Photo Essay put together by About's Guide to Archaeology, K. Kris Hirst.
Learn more about Early Medieval Britain.

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Anglo-Saxon hoard of gold and silver the biggest ever discovered . . . originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at 22:50:02.

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Archaeological discoveries in Edinburgh

2009-09-24T00:44:01Z

Back in July I blogged about how the discovery of two human skeletons had triggered an investigation in Edinburgh into what may be the site of a Carmelite priory. Now the archaeologists involved in the excavation have revealed some of the results of their labors. More than 300 skeletons have been found, in coffins that are in good enough condition to identify the wood. Find out more in the article by Hazel Mollison at the Edinburgh Evening News.

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Archaeological discoveries in Edinburgh originally appeared on About.com Medieval History on Thursday, September 24th, 2009 at 00:44:01.

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