Melissa's Medieval History Blog

The art of Heraldry was born in the Middle Ages, and while it still survives and has evolved somewhat, it will always harken back to the aspects of medieval society that made it what it is. And while its symbolism and rules may seem too esoteric, a little study and the willingness to learn are all you need to understand the mysteries of Heraldic devices. An excellent resource for in-depth study is The Oxford Guide to Heraldry by Thomas Woodcock and John Martin Robinson. If Heraldry really is your thing, see why Woodcock and Robinson's work is worth your time in this review by your Guide.

Related Resources
• Heraldry How-To's
• Basic Heraldry Quiz
• More Heraldry Resources

The crucifix that was discovered in a trash bin a few years ago by a woman in Zell am See, Austria, has been returned to the heirs of the owner from whom it was looted during the Nazi era. The enameled cross was once part of a magnificent collection of art and antiquities belonging to Countess Isabella Dzialynska at Goluchow Castle in Poland. Isabella's heir, Count Adam Zamoyski, received the cross in a ceremony Tuesday. Find out more in the article by Catherine Hickley at Bloomberg.com, which includes a nice picture, and learn more in the item at Reuters.

Yes, there were coins, and yes, there was jewelry uncovered at the site near Dereham, where archaeologists have been exploring the future location of a housing development before construction begins. But what makes the finds particularly intriguing is what the artifacts can tell the archaeologist and the historian. Roman coins, Saxon halfpennies and Venetian silver all suggest that trade was very busy in the Dereham area from the earliest settlements. The presence of Middle Saxon artifacts dating to the 7th through 9th centuries indicate that occupation of the area continued on from the post-Roman era into the early Middle Ages and beyond. The location of the finds in relation to later buildings indicate whether and how settlement shifted over time.

Find out more about the discoveries and what they reveal in the article by Aura Sabadus at EDP24.

In the Middle Ages, the first day of May was cause for the celebration of the return of spring. Festivities included gathering flowers and green branches, weaving garlands, and decorating a Maypole, around which young people would dance. The origins go back to ancient fertility rites, but by the time of the High Middle Ages those associations had long dimmed in the conscious minds of the participants, if not the subconscious. Here in America, May Day celebrations never really caught on, thanks in part to our Puritan forefathers, who disliked their pagan connections and thought them licentious, to boot.

The Limbourg Brothers painted a depiction of May Day for Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. The detail here shows some of the participants of a party set to ride into the forest to gather branches. Get a better look in the page for May of our Les Très Riches Heures Image Gallery. And don't let those old fuddy-duddy Puritans put a damper on your May Day fun!

While exploring the site of the 17th-century Battle of Lund, nine-year-old Alexander Granhof uncovered some verdigris-coated coins. The next day, archaeologists from the National Heritage Board found two clay vessels holding more than 7,000 silver coins dating from about 1300. Most of the coins are from Denmark and England, and they constitute the largest cache of medieval silver coins ever found in southern Sweden.

Find out more in the article at the Local.

Think you know your Heraldry? This challenging quiz will test your knowledge of some uncommon heraldic terms. If you'd like to start with something a little easier, try our Basic Heraldry Quiz or Heraldry Quiz II: Charges. If you'd like to brush up on your Heraldic terminology first, visit Pimbley's Dictionary of Heraldry.

Here are some news items related to the Middle Ages I think you'll find interesting:

• Medieval timbers undergo restoration
  Timbers from medieval bridges in Leicestershire are being restored by immersing them in liquid sugar. Find out more in the item at BBC News.
  
  
• 10th-century ring discovered
  Metal detectors strike again! Find out more about the discovery in the article at Wetherby News.
  
  
• 15th-century chest stolen
  The Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh was robbed and furniture, including a rare 15th century chest, was stolen. Get the details in the report at the Evening Star.
  
  
• Seventh-century burial may have a cult connection
  Archaeologist Stephen Sherlock believes the arrangement of the graves and the focus of the burial are among the indications that the Anglo-Saxon woman buried in a cemetery in Yorkshire might have been a member of royalty who led a pagan cult. Learn more in the article by Jennifer Viegas at Discovery News.
  
  
• Plague victims unearthed
  The remains of hundreds of plague victims, believed to have died during the 6th-century epidemic that swept Byzantium and parts of Europe, have been uncovered south of Rome. Find out more in the article adnkronos.com.
  
  
• Medieval corbel uncovered
  A carved head, believed to date to the 13th or 14th century, was uncovered in the excavations at Hungate, York. Get the details in the item by Gavin Aitchison at The Press.
  
  
• Medieval brooch found in a farmer's field
  More metal-detecting success. Get the scoop in the piece by Karen Westcott at The Echo.
  
  and last, but certainly not least:
  
  
• Cod bones reveal trading patterns
  A new study conducted by archaeologists and scientists from Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Scandinavia and the Baltic states reveals how Cod were caught, traded and consumed in medieval times. An article at Britain's Times Online has more, and be sure to check out About.com Guide to Archaeology Kris Hirst's illuminating blog on the subject.
  
  

A couple of weeks ago I broke a tooth, setting off a series of visits to my dentist. This, of course, led me to wonder about the state of dentistry in the Middle Ages -- especially while I was stuck in the chair with my mouth open (and isn't that a pretty sight?). When I got home, woozy and numb, I opened a few books to do a little research. Then the painkillers caught up with me, and when I woke up again, I did a little research.

Of course, there is no comparison between medieval methods and today's modern dental advances -- no matter how often people liken their treatment (or mistreatment) by their modern D.D.S. as a "medieval torture." But medieval teeth may not have been as bad as you might imagine. No, they had no toothbrushes, but, depending on the time and place, they did have dental floss, mouthwash, chewing sticks, tooth-scrapers, and soft cloths to polish their teeth with. There were also medieval versions of dentists, who extracted teeth, filled cavities, made dentures and even fixed facial fractures.

Today, refined sugar is a tooth's mortal enemy, and there wasn't much to be had in the Middle Ages, even among the wealthy. However, the nobility did have a much greater variety of foods to get stuck in their teeth. And, of course, they could afford the most recent dental advances, too. Peasants, on the other hand, had a limited diet that consisted largely of coarse grains. They had to chew harder and longer, which was actually good for their teeth, but the grains could be so hard that continued consumption could wear the teeth down considerably. Still, the popular fiction version of black-toothed, gap-toothed medieval folk is evidently no more accurate than most of the nonsense the unlearned like to perpetuate about the Middle Ages.

Find out more about medieval dentistry in these resources compiled by your Guide. And don't forget to floss!

This week there has been a handful of news items regarding the Vikings:

• Viking treasure discovered in Sweden
  A hoard composed mainly of Arabic coins was discovered near Sweden's main international airport. Dating back to about 850, the treasure -- which is the largest early Viking hoard ever discovered in Sweden -- suggests that Vikings were trading in foreign currency earlier than was previously believed. Find out more in the article by James Owen at National Geographic News.
  
  
• Dunnet Bay to be searched for Viking artifacts
  What Viking secrets will be revealed in Caithness, Scotland? Get more info in the item at BBC News.
  
  
• Viking bones to go on display
  Or they could be Saxon. Or both. In any case, the bones will go on display when the archaeologists have finished with them. Get the details at the Star.
  
  
• Popsicle-stick Viking ship sets sail
  Robert McDonald's replica Viking ship, made completely from popsicle sticks, has left the Netherlands for England, and he may actually make it to the U.S. Learn more in the item by Catherine Hornby at Reuters UK.

A 14th-century piece of science history may leave public ownership if the British Museum can't raise £350,000. That's the amount of money a private investor paid at auction for the mathematical and astronomical tool. Now the astrolabe has been deemed to be of cultural significance by the United Kingdom’s Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, and the granting of an export license to the new owner has been delayed until June of this year so that the British Museum may match the sale price and keep the item in public hands. Find out more about the unusual astrolabe and what it means to historians in the article by Philip Ball at Nature News.