Medieval

Remains from the Lindegården excavation site at Ribe Cathedral (Denmark) dated between the 9th and 19th centuries. Credit: Museum of Southwest Jutland Scientists who study the origins and evolution of the plague have examined hundreds of ancient human teeth from Denmark, seeking to address longstanding questions about its arrival, persistence and spread within Scandinavia. …

Skull CT1953 from burial T67. (a) Frontal view. The black arrow indicates the large oval scraped area on the frontal bone. The white arrows show the abscesses involving RI1 and RI2 and LI2. (b) Superior view. The black arrow indicates the circular ectocranial depression near bregma. The white arrows show the cross-shaped scraping parallel to the sagittal and coronal sutures. Credit: International Journal of Osteoarchaeology (2023). DOI: 10.1002/oa.3202…

A depiction of an earthquake in a 14th-century Apocalypse. Credit: British Library The catastrophic earthquakes of February 6, 2023 in Turkey and Syria are so far known to have claimed the lives of over 41,000 people. This number will likely grow as rescue and recovery efforts continue. The region has known earthquakes before. In…

Great Zimbabwe was the first major city in southern Africa, home to an estimated 18,000 people at its peak. Yet no one really knows why it now lies in ruins.The demise of the once-thriving Medieval metropolis is sometimes boiled down to drought and a drying climate, but archaeologists have now found evidence of careful water conservation amid the wreckage.A team of researchers from Denmark, South Africa, England, and Zimbabwe argue that a series of large, circular depressions known as 'dhaka' pits, found around the city,…

Medieval monks were, in many ways, the original LinkedIn power users. Earnest and with a knack for self-promotion, they loved to read and share inspiring stories of other early Christians who had shown remarkable commitment to their work. There was Sarah, who lived next to a river without ever once looking in its direction, such was her dedication to her faith. James prayed so intently during a snowstorm that he was buried in snow and had to be dug out by his neighbors.But none of these early devotees could ward off…

Archaeologists used a battered skull, found in the crypt of a Medieval Italian church, to reconstruct a brutal scene that took place more than 800 years ago.The skull belongs to a young male, and because he was buried in the San Biagio's main atrium, he is thought to be a member of the wealthy De Cittiglio family who owned the land the church was built on.A life of privilege was apparently not enough to save him from murder, one he may have never even seen coming.Researchers at the University of Siena and University of…

The restored reliquary. It is decorated with images of Jesus and Mary. Credit: Technical University Munich An interdisciplinary research team led by the Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA) has solved the mystery of a gold-plated pendant found in 2008 in a medieval refuse pit in the Old City section of Mainz. Thanks to the non-destructive examinations at the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) of the…

Cat king, Germany, circa 1450. Credit: Scheibler’sches Wappenbuch – BSB Cod.icon. 312c Cats had a bad reputation in the middle ages. Their presumed links with paganism and witchcraft meant they were often treated with suspicion. But despite their association with the supernatural, medieval manuscripts showcase surprisingly playful images of our furry friends. …

In 2003, workers building a highway through a small township in Ireland chanced upon a long-lost medieval graveyard.Of the roughly 1,300 bodies found at the site near the township of Ballyhanna, a couple of the ancient interred stood out. Their bones were riddled with benign tumors caused by a rare disease, but for strangely different reasons.Both of the individuals appeared to have a genetic condition known as multiple osteochondromas, which causes painful yet typically non-malignant tumors to grow in bone, leading to…

Wordle 536 answer for December 7: Today’s puzzle is very challenging and solving it on your own might lead to failure. Don’t take the chance. Use Wordle hints, clues and solution to get the win. Wordle 536 answer for December 7: Easier puzzle days of the previous week were definitely more enjoyable, but that time is now gone. This week, Wordle is throwing consecutive challenging words which will push the abilities of the players. And it makes sense. People have been growing their winning streaks for a while and today…