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15. A Lump of Coal
By Ben Shread-Hewitt (@HewittShread) Coal in your stocking might be the sign of a bad Christmas, but it could be worse. In Edward I’s London, being found with coal in your stockings might mean death. In the 14th century, air pollution was a growing problem in England’s capital city. Increasing populations and local deforestation were…
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4. Fragments of a Sacramentary
By Kate Falardeau (@kate_falardeau) The binding of a mid-ninth-century copy of Bede’s Martyrology (Würzburg, Universitätsbibliothek, M.p.th.f. 50) is material proof of the fragmentation and reuse of medieval manuscripts.[1] Four small strips of parchment (110 x 60 mm) from another manuscript have been used as waste, in this case to reinforce the spine of the codex.
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Sam Rowe – Historian Highlight
By Sam Rowe, interviewed by Cherish Watton. Historian Highlight is an ongoing series sharing the research experiences of historians in the History Faculty in Cambridge. We ask students how they came to research their topic, their favourite archival find, as well as the best (and worst) advice they’ve received as academics in training. History is…
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Did Edward III Obey His Own Rules on Parties?
By Jerome Gasson In 1336, King Edward III and a group of magnates passed a law ordaining that: ‘No one, whatever estate or condition he happens to be in, shall cause himself to be served in his house or elsewhere, at dinner, meal, or supper, or at any other time, with more than two courses,…
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7. A Book of Memory from Medieval Alsace
By Kate Falardeau (@kate_falardeau) Columns prop up a detailed architectural façade. To the left of the composition, the zodiac sign Capricorn emerges from a hypnotic spiral. To the right, a proclamation seems to be issued. The scroll, held by a ruler and an anxious looking man, actually contains a regimen to be followed during January…
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