Forums: Medieval II: Total War

FACE OF STERLING CASTLE WARRIOR RECONSTRUCTED The skeleton of the knight was discovered during refurbishment work A reconstruction has revealed the face of a medieval knight whose skeleton was discovered at Stirling Castle. Experts are now attempting to discover the identity of the warrior, who is likely to have been killed in the 13th or 14th Century. The skeleton is one of 10 excavated from the site of a lost royal chapel at the castle. The skeleton of a woman was found near the knight. Forensic anthropologist Professor Sue Black is leading the investigation. It is believed the knight could...

CLIMATE RESEARCH Clim Res Vol. 23: 89–110, 2003 Published January 31 1. INTRODUCTION Are the Little Ice Age and Medieval Warm Period widespread climatic anomalies? Lamb (1965) wrote, ‘[M]ultifarious evidence of a meteorological nature from historical records, as well as archaeological, botanical and glaciological evidence in various parts of the world from the Arctic to New Zealand . . . has been found to suggest a warmer epoch lasting several centuries between about A.D. 900 or 1000 and about 1200 or 1300. . . . Both the ”Little Optimum” in the early Middle Ages and the cold epochs [i.e. ”Little...

Researchers at the University of Reading (UK) and the University of Southampton (UK) recently made available the roster of men who served during the Hundred Years' War.

Nation-building in Afghanistan is a tough proposition for the United States since it is a "medieval" country, Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) told a local editorial board on Monday afternoon. The freshman lawmaker said that the a rebuilding project similar to what the U.S. undertook in Iraq would unlikely to achieve success in Afghanistan because the latter is "medieval" and the former is a "20th century country." Roe added that winning "the war" there would take "decades." He emphasized that the government needs to re-evaluate the mission there and define victory in the conflict against Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents. "I believe...

Review: How the Byzantines Saved Europe Posted by JOHN COURETAS on MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2009 The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies. Edited by Elizabeth Jeffreys, John Haldon, Robin Cormack. Oxford University Press (2008)Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire by Judith Herrin. Princeton University Press (2008) Ask the average college student to identify the 1,100 year old empire that was, at various points in its history, the political, commercial, artistic and ecclesiastical center of Europe and, indeed, was responsible for the very survival and flourishing of what we know today as Europe and you’re not likely to get the...

A medieval silver ring dating back more than 800 years has been unearthed on a farm in Northern Ireland. The 12th century artefact was found by 17-year-old Conor Sandford as he was putting up a fence post at the edge of one of his father's fields near the village of Kilmore, Co Armagh. The teenager told a treasure trove hearing in Belfast today he initially thought the engraved finger ring was a ring pull from an old fizzy drink can. "Only when I was putting the soil back into the hole did I notice this wee thing sticking out," he...

It is an unforgettable moment. As the sun traverses the sky its light is suddenly focused into an intense beam which illuminates a carving of Christ on the Cross.  This is not a scene from an Indiana Jones film, however, but a stirring piece of visual synchronicity that dates from medieval times.  At the spring and autumn equinox, the setting sun hits a window at Holy Trinity Church in Barsham, Suffolk, and illuminates the 5ft carving for four spellbinding minutes. The spectacle dates back to the 1300s, when the narrow window was built in the church tower, but it...

As 2008 winds down, we will take this opportunity to look back at some of the most interesting medieval stories of the year. Here is our list of top articles placed on our news blog: Art Historian recreates 'The Mystic Ark' of Hugh of Saint Victor Polish archaeologists find remains of three Teutonic Knights Byzantine gold coins discovered in Jerusalem Fordham Professor Decodes Hidden Messages in Medieval Text Byzantine art exhibition at the Royal Academy, London Battle of Agincourt Archaeological discoveries in Rome Istanbul project reveals Byzantine discoveries Boyana church in Sofia - Medieval frescos Vikings may have gone out...

Medieval boat found on Suffolk coast 25 June 2008 | 08:00 MARK LORD Rob Atfield of Suffolk County Council Archaeology department works on one of the pieces THE unearthing of a medieval boat on the north Suffolk coast is of “great national importance”, the archaeological team behind the discovery said last night. As reported in yesterday's EADT the remains were found during excavations at Sizewell in advance of the onshore works for the Greater Gabbard Wind Farm. The vessel, which was probably a small inshore fishing boat, was broken up sometime between the 12th and 14th Centuries and parts of...

Medicinal mercury in Medieval bones [June 1, 2008] The Middle Ages, often referred to as Medieval times, spanned a long period in history from the 5th to the 16th Centuries. During this time, European society and culture enjoyed many advances and it could be argued that the quality of life improved beyond recognition. One area which progressed steadily was medicine and the treatment of disease, although these days we would not touch some of the medicinal compounds with a bargepole, let alone administer them to patients. One substance in popular use was mercury, used variously in gilding of jewellery and...