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As a major publisher in medieval studies, we have selected this subject as our focus for May, timed well for our annual presence at the International Congress on Medieval Studies.
This exciting feature includes a huge variety of content: an introduction by Dr Matthew Treherne; the unmasking of the Lewis Chessmen; a snapshot of medieval London; spotlight on Exemplaria; resurrecting medieval music; dress at the court of King Henry VIII; the Battle of Towton; an overview of medieval archaeology; the mysteries of Portolan charts are examined; early medieval finds in China; plus discounted subscriptions and much more!
Below are just some of the many journals we offer in the field. Click on the images for more!
The China Beat
Medieval archaeology has long ago left behind the image of the be-suited Victorian clergyman staring at the ivy-clad & crumbling ruins of an ancient castle...
Marguerite Ragnow, Editor of Terrae Incognitae and curator at the James Ford Bell Library, University of Minnesota, USA, introduces us to a Portolan chart.
These are navigational maps made in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries which were based on realistic descriptions of harbours and coasts, and which recorded the accumulated experience and wisdom of generations of Mediterranean seafarers.
The chart in the video includes all of Europe, extending to the Black and Red seas in the east, and shows Antilia at the western extreme. It was made by a Genoese cartographer, Albini de Canepa, and he indicates the Genoese trading stations in the Black Sea area.
Resurrecting medieval music Following a performance at the Society for Italian Studies Conference, we caught up with Eclipse Baroque Fusion & they told us more about the fascinating use of medieval instruments.
Watch Eclipse's Layil Barr performing here:
Layil says… "I commissioned the creation of the medieval double-ended recorder from Francesco Li Virghi a few years ago. Francesco dedicated his life to recorder making. He was fascinated by images of the double recorder that survived from medieval & Greek times but unfortunately these instruments didn't survive. When Francesco decided to make them, he had to reinvent them and make many difficult decisions about the interval between the two bodies and the sizes. It is quite a mission to create two bodies that are well in tune with each other when you blow them at the same time.
The notes are produced by using the tip of the fingers to cover the whole or just 1/2 or 1/4 of the holes. Most of the instrumental music of the time has only one melodic line, so the player needs to create and improvise the second line by either adding a drone or a contra melody."
Introducing medieval studies...Dr Matthew Treherne, Acting Director of the Institute for Medieval Studies, tells us why medieval studies are so important today.
Hot topics and
top content...
Medieval archaeology: why the Middle Ages is far from middling! Professor Martin Carver of the Society for Medieval Archaeology reveals medieval who-dunnits and explains why archaeology is all around us!
Unmasking the Lewis Chessmen
Dr David Caldwell, Keeper of Scotland in Europe, National Museums Scotland, recently led the most comprehensive study on the chessmen since 1832 which is published in Medieval Archaeology. David tells us more about this study, and also the job of the curator to pull out hidden gems which can illuminate new themes. Read the article and view more fascinating images...
A Snapshot of Medieval London
Explore medieval London with us by delving into the archives of The London Journal and uncovering colourful and interesting articles which are all free to read! Accompanying these are fantastic images provided by the London Metropolitan Archives. View our snapshot!
Studying Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII Dr Maria Hayward of the University of Southampton and author of Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII, tells us more about her research.
"I have a long standing interest in medieval and early modern clothing and textiles. While the bulk of my research to date has been on the court of Henry VIII, my recent work has moved beyond the 16th century including a project on dress from 1100-1450 and a comparative study of the clothing worn at the courts of Charles I and Charles II."
"There are three main types of evidence that can be used to study clothing for a given period: written records including inventories, letters and accounts; visual sources such as paintings and sketches and surviving objects. Unfortunately very little high status, secular clothing has survived in England from the Tudor period which meant that I had to primarily rely on written and visual sources. However, there are a few pieces in British collections and one particularly important example is the boy’s shirt of c. 1540-50 in the Victoria and Albert Museum."
"Henry VIII is a fascinating, if not particularly likeable, individual who has been studied by generations of historians. However, not much had been done with all the wide range of sources relating to his clothing and that worn by his wives, children and the members of his household. This made it possible to write Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII and to evaluate the importance of clothing and textiles to Henry VIII. The nature of the sources meant that most of the evidence related to male clothing, an area of dress history that is often under-studied."
"For me, the highlights of undertaking this research were discovering how much Henry VIII had in common with his Lancastrian and Yorkist predecessors when dressing for the key liturgical feast days, how much he spent on clothing for himself and his household and how important clothes were in the pattern of gift giving and perquisites at court."
In a summary article and video interview Keith Knapp, president of the Early Medieval China Group, considers the implications of recent early medieval China archaeological finds, in particular the purported discovery of the Cao Cao tomb in the city of Anyang in Henan province. Read the full article here
From 1 May to 15 June 2011 we are lifting all access restrictions on over 50 medieval studies articles from a selection of our journals in a range of subject areasto make them available to you completely free of charge!
To begin your free online trial simply fill out this quick form*, click 'submit' to receive your username and password. Once logged in view all content marked with an :
Remembering the Battle of Towton
In a special essay Graeme Rimer, Academic Director of the Royal Armouries and editor of Arms & Armour, commemorates the 550th anniversary of the most deadly battle ever fought on British soil. He also considers recent discoveries and ongoing developments at the battlefield that ensure its preservation for future generations. Read the essay here...
A spotlight on...
...'it breaks into new territory, while never compromising on scholarly quality', Times Literary Supplement
One of the most consistently interesting and challenging periodicals devoted to medieval and Renaissance studies, Exemplaria provides a forum for different terminologies and approaches. Drawing on the changing circumstances of our time, this journal seeks to drive discussion and debate in the understanding of our literary past.
Entertaining archives... Stretching back to 1989, with the first issue publishing an article by Jacques Le Goff, the digital archives of Exemplaria provide a fascinating and entertaining plethora of content to its subscribers. Browse the archive offerings here.
Top content Review some of the most popular Exemplaria articles, and if you've signed up for our free virtual journal you'll be able to download some of these for free!
Exemplaria Symposium The Symposium on Surface, Symptom, and the State of Critique takes place in February 2012. This event plans to examine the current state of critical theory in pre- and early-modern studies twenty-five years after the founding of Exemplaria, the first journal explicitly dedicated to engaging critical theory within these domains. Read more here.
Oxford German Studies takes in the full plethora of German studies, ensuring that the study of the medieval German region is examined in depth and to the highest academic standards.
Two special issues, one recently published, the other from the journal archive, demonstrate this excellence…
Dorothea von Montau and Johannes Marienwerder: Constructions of Sanctity examines the life of the fascinating Dorothea von Montau. Canonised after her death she is saint in some interpretations and shrew in others. Research is done through the texts compiled about her by others, including her confessor. This volume takes another look at her life and re-examines the texts, placing both in a broader context than is often allowed.
Amicitia: Friendship in Medieval Culture explores the many ways that friendship plays a role in medieval culture; as a way in which philosophising becomes possible; a bond between men striving for ethical perfection; friendship among women; the list goes on…
The Early Medieval China Group is dedicated to studying the history of China during the tumultuous but culturally rich period that lasted from AD 220 to 589. Thegroup meets once a year at the annual meeting of the Association for Asian Studies and is the official society of Early Medieval China.
For more information and to become a member go to the society website.
The Society for Medieval Archaeology was established to study evidence of the past, whether standing buildings, landscapes, buried remains, or artefacts in museums.
The British Archaeological Association was founded in 1843 to promote the study of archaeology, art and architecture and the preservation of our national antiquities. It encourages original research and publishes new work on the history of architecture, art and antiquities of Roman to post-medieval date.
For more information and to become a member go to the society website.
The IMSSS promotes and fosters the study of medieval sermons and preaching in Latin and the vernacular languages within their social, literary, religious, intellectual, theological, catechetical, political and historical contexts
For more information and to become a member go to the society website.
Costume Society of Great Britain The Society promotes every aspect of the study of clothing and textiles: The society aims to encourage access to costume history, including contemporary dress in various different ways, our appeal is wide-ranging and object-based.
For more information and to become a member go to the society website.
The Costume Society of America advances the global understanding of all aspects of dress and appearance. The society works to stimulate scholarship and encourage study in the rich and diverse field of costume.
For more information and to become a member go to the society website.
The Society for Italian Studies is a registered charity which has as its object to advance public education by furthering the study of Italy, Italian language, literature, thought, history, society and arts in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
For more information and to become a member go to the society website.
The AAIS encourages, supports, and conducts research activities in Italian culture, including areas such as Italian language, art, music, history, literature, folklore, and popular culture, and well as its influence on other cultures.
For more information and to become a member go to the society website.
Founded in 1935, SHAC has consistently maintained the highest standards of scholarship in all aspects of the history of alchemy and chemistry from early times to the present.
For more information and to become a member go to the society website.
Founded in 1960, the Society for the History of Discoveries was formed to stimulate interest in teaching, research, and publishing the history of geographical exploration.
For more information and to become a member go to the society website.
The Yorkshire Archaeological Society was founded in 1863 to promote interest in the history and archaeology of the Huddersfield area. Today it is the main society in this field for the historic county.
For more information and to become a member go to the society website.
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