The Knightly Newsletter

Medieval History

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Medieval History

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The Newsletter for the Medieval History Site at About.com

Vol. V, No. 3
April 27, 2002

•The Bad Old Days
•Digging Up Chris
•Medieval Moms

The Knightly Newsletter

Life in the 1500s?

The Bad Old Days

A popular net hoax purports to provide facts about the Middle Ages that explain the origins of phrases and customs. Your Guide offers contrary evidence for your perusal.

In the News

Digging Up Chris
Who's buried in Columbus' Tomb? It's not a trick question. Scientists plan to exhume the remains that now rest in Seville Cathedral in order to determine whether or not they are really those of Christopher Columbus. Find out more in the feature by Elizabeth Nash in The Independent. And for books and online resources, be sure to visit our page about Christopher Columbus in Who's Who in Medieval History.

Frankish Glass
A rare sixth-century Frankish glass bowl has been recovered from an Anglo-Saxon burial ground in Hampshire. The dig also yielded spearheads, knives, a Byzantine brass buckle and other items of interest. Get the details in this article at the Guardian.

Coptic Text Restoration
The Victorians plundered the Coptic monasteries of Egypt for priceless early Christian manuscripts, and many other texts disappeared to other locales. Now, with the use of digital technology, the British Library is working with Coptic monks to reunite the scattered treasures of the Deir-el-Suriyan monastery. Stuart Jeffries has an extensive article at the Guardian.

Reconsidering Islamic History
Recent scholarship points to the possibility that Egypt did not become predominantly Muslim until several centuries after the Arab conquests of the Middle East, a theory that is being met with hostility by traditional Islamic scholars. Find out more in Andrew Hammond's feature, available at Yahoo! news.

Let's Hear it for the Physicists
The use of thermoluminescence is foiling antiquities forgers by helping scientists determine the authenticity of objects made of porcelain, pottery, bronze and terracotta. For more information check out the item by Jennifer Viegas at Discovery News.

This Week in Medieval History

King Edward IV of England was born, Leonardo da Vinci died, and Stephen Báthory was crowned King of Poland.

What happened today?

Medieval Moms

What was parenthood like for people in the Middle Ages? See how they dealt with childbirth and child-rearing in your Guide's series, The Medieval Child.

Philobiblon

In the 14th century, a book-loving bishop wrote a book about the love of books. Find out about the Philobiblon, and read it online, in this feature by your Guide.

Elsewhere at About.com

Chris Hani
The assassination of Chris Hani, the charismatic leader of the South African Communist Party, was pivotal to the ending of Apartheid. Why was this man considered such a threat to both the extreme-right wing and the ANC in South Africa? Find out in this concise biography by About Guide to African History, Alistair Boddy-Evans.

Tiptoeing Through the Graveyard
Spring is the perfect time for a visit to the cemetery to find your ancestors. About Genealogy Guide Kimberly Powell has everything you need to know for a successful visit.