Boycott of Medieval Festival

Local history groups are mounting a campaign to boycott the upcoming Medieval Festival at Upper Canada Village in eastern Ontario, Canada, as part of their ongoing opposition to the changes being made at the local attraction.

According to the Standard Freeholder, the S, D and G and Lost Villages historical societies and other history buffs are planning to hold a protest and information picket outside the village on Thursday, June 11th, the day the Medieval Festival is scheduled to begin.

Members of the local history community feel the integrity of Upper Canada Village is being jeoperdized by recent programming and staffing changes and the introduction of new commercial ventures, and they see the Medieval Festival as a prime example of that.

"Is the founding of Ontario and Confederation so unimportant that we have to visit Europe?," reads a flyer that's being handed out at the Cornwall Community Museum to advertise the boycott.

Museum official and S, D and G Historical Society curator Ian Bowering said the boycott will provide a way for local heritage enthusiasts to make their feelings known about the changes at the village.

Bowering believes the St. Lawrence Parks Commission officials didn't listen to the concerns raised by local heritage groups during a public meeting on Tuesday in Cornwall. "We are going to take our collective voice to them so they can hear us," he added.

Lost Villages Historical Society president Jane Craig also feels their concerns aren't being heard by the officials of the parks commission, which oversees Upper Canada Village. "I can't imagine anybody accepting the answers (that were given at the meeting)," she said.

However, parks commission CEO Pat Macdonald insisted that she did listen to the concerns raised during the Tuesday meeting, and she said it's unfortunate that some people are prejudging the Medieval Festival without having seen it first.

Macdonald said the parks commission is trying to balance the interests of the local population with the need to attract more visitors. Holding special events like the Medieval Festival is one way to draw more people, she added.

"There's some serious concerns (from people) that have to be taken into consideration but equally there's some serious issues of sustainability that everyone has to recognize," she said, adding the government subsidy for the village has more than doubled in the last 10 years. "We cannot continue on ignoring the need to change. As painful as it might be, we need to become sustainable."

Unlike last year, the Medieval Festival will be held on the village grounds, but it will be east of the village proper. Macdonald stressed it will not interfere with the regular activities of the village. By holding it closer to the attraction, the parks commission will save money on fencing and other expenses, and visitors will be able to take in both attractions for the same price, she added.

"It really is removed from Upper Canada Village. It's in a back area (of the village)," Macdonald said.

Cultural Icons of Medieval Scotland

The University of Aberdeen will be hosting a two-day conference on Cultural Icons of Medieval Scotland, which examines the cultural achievements of the medieval North and the objects which help us define the identity and early history of Scotland.

The conference begins on Wednesday 22nd July, with a public lecture by Professor David Dumville on The Book of Deer: A monument of North-Eastern book production. The following day sees ten more speakers, including Heather Pulliam, on The Book of Deer and Pictish Art, Jane Geddes on The Pictish Stones of St Vigeans, and Gareth Williams on the Skaill silver hoard, Orkney.

Other speakers include:

Raghnall Ó Floinn (National Museum of Ireland): The Monymusk Reliquary

Susan Youngs (Oxford): St Ninian’s Isle Hoard

Gareth Williams (British Museum): Skaill silver hoard, Orkney

Ted Cowan (Glasgow): The Declaration of Arbroath

Jane Stevenson (Aberdeen): The Aberdeen Breviary

For more information, click here to go to the conference website.

12th century silver ring found in Northern Ireland

FARMER'S SON UNEARTHS MEDIEVAL TREASURE
By David Young
2 June 2009
Press Association National Newswire

A medieval silver ring dating back more than 800 years has been unearthed on a farm in Northern Ireland. The 12th century artefact was found by 17-year-old Conor Sandford as he was putting up a fence post at the edge of one of his father's fields near the village of Kilmore, Co Armagh.

The teenager told a treasure trove hearing in Belfast today he initially thought the engraved finger ring was a ring pull from an old fizzy drink can. "Only when I was putting the soil back into the hole did I notice this wee thing sticking out," he said. "You know I thought it was a ring pull, off a Coca Cola can."

The item was in fact a ring that experts at the Ulster Museum in Belfast have dated to circa 1170. The Sandford farm lies on land adjoining Kilmore parish church - an area acknowledged by archaeologists as a significant medieval settlement.

After making the discovery last summer, Conor contacted Helen Geake from Channel Four's Time Team, who advised him to get in touch with the Ulster Museum. Cormac Bourke, the museum's long standing curator of medieval antiquities, explained the ring would have belonged to someone of wealth. "It must pertain to middle or upper echelons of society, but we can't say if it was owned by a man or a woman," he said during the hearing at Belfast's Mays Chambers

Such cases are held before the Coroners Court in Northern Ireland to determine whether the items are treasure and thus belong to the Crown. In order to qualify for that status, the artefact has to be more than 300 years old and be 10% constituted of precious metal.

Mr Bourke told coroner Brian Sherrard he could date the ring to at least 1170 and revealed that tests had showed it to be around 90% silver. However, the expert later estimated its current value would be in the hundreds of pounds, not thousands.

Ruling that the ring was indeed treasure, Mr Sherrard commended Mr Sandford for realising the significance of the find and for the honourable way in which he had handed it in. "It's as well it wasn't thrown away as a ring pull as it nearly was," he added.

The ring will now be valued by a treasure committee in London, which will determine an appropriate reward for the Sandford family. Mr Sherrard asked Conor's father William if there had been any more significant finds on his land. "Unfortunately not," he said ruefully. "And I have been looking all my life."

Lida Castle in Belarus to be restored

Authorities set to restore medieval castle in Lida
4 June 2009
BelaPAN

Belarusian authorities plan to restore a 14th-century castle in Lida, Hrodna region. The necessary design work is expected to be completed by July, Natallya Branets, scientific director for the project, told BelaPAN. According to her, the project provides for the renovation of the surviving tower of the two-tower castle. The other tower would be rebuilt and so would be the barracks, storehouses, blacksmith shop, horse stalls, gallery and two medieval wells that were located in the courtyard, Ms. Branets said. The restored castle will house a museum of medieval traditions and art, a tourist agency, a knights club, a café and a gift store, Ms. Branets said. Theatrical performances, knights tournaments and sports events will be held in the courtyard, she said. The project may be completed by the fall of 2010 if there is sufficient funding, Ms. Branets said.



The Lida Castle was one of several citadels build by order of Grand Duke Gediminas in the 1330s to defend the Grand Duchy of Litva against the expansion of the Teutonic knights. Situated on a sandy hill, the site of the castle is naturally protected by the Rivers Kamenka and Lida. A 20-meter moat and a lake were later added to its defenses. Despite its strong fortifications, the castle was repeatedly taken by invading armies. After a fire in Lida in 1891, the castle's southwestern tower and parts of its western wall were torn down to provide stone for repairing fire-damaged houses.

Herstmonceux Festival taking place in late August

Herstmonceux Festival to honour 500 years since Henry VIII's accession
5 June 2009
Sussex Express


Battle cries and canon fire will thunder from Herstmonceux Castle for its 17th medieval festival. The event, from August 29 to 31, honours 500 years since the accession of Henry VIII, last of the medieval monarchs, to the throne.

More than 1,000 re-enactors dressed in battle gear will take part in castle sieges. Jousting with knights on horseback is also planned – a favourite pasttime of Henry VIII. Mounted skill-at-arms competitions are also sure to woo crowds.

Clive Geisler, the festival's event director, said: "England's Medieval Festival has grown fantastically since its humble beginnings in 1992. The first festival was held over a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon. We had half a dozen re-enactors involved in some skill at arms displays, and it proved to be quite popular with the public. When we repeated the exercise the next year, it proved to be even more popular and it just grew from there."

Authentic living history areas will let visitors enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of medieval kitchens. Ancient crafts, such as the making of chain mail and boots, are likely to fascinate festival visitors. Wandering jesters, minstrels and dancers will entertain both young and old. Crowds will also get the chance to see ancient hunting skills with falcons and other birds of prey.

Eighteenth Colloquium on the History of Egypt and Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk Eras

Last month the University of Ghent in Belgium hosted the Eighteenth Colloquium on the History of Egypt and Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk Eras, an annual meeting of international experts on the history of Islamic Egypt and Syria in the Islamic 'middle' period (1000-1500).

The colloquium was organized by Jo Van Steenbergen and Urban Vermeulen, included nine sessions with 22 papers, and was attended by over 30 scholars. Some of the papers given included "Hebron during the Mamluk period: sacred places, iqta‘ and royal investment", by Yehoshua Frenkel, and "Abandoned Military Equipment in Mamluk Citadels and Castles: documentary and archaeological evidence for an untidy habit,” by David Nicolle. For the full program schedule, click here. Professor Van Steenbergen said in an interview with Medievalists.net that "we thought that the papers were all of high quality, offering many new insights into general or specific aspects of the region's history and generating many questions and stimulating debates."



Asked about how these colloquiums have developed a better understanding of the medieval era for Egypt and Syria, Professor Van Steenbergen replied, "I think the colloquiums have grown over the many years into a very stimulating and friendly occasion for many scholars of the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk Eras from Europe and beyond to meet each other on a regular basis, to familiarize themselves with each other's work and engage in constructive scholarly exchanges, and to present results at various stages of one's research. As such, amongst many other things I think it has been extremely helpful for many scholars to see more clearly the process of continuities and changes within which their individual research topics have to be situated."

Peeters Publishing will continue its support of the colloquiums by publishing its proceedings. The volume covering colloquiums 14 and 15 will be published this summer, while this year's proceedings will likely be published in 2011. Next year's colloquium is scheduled to take place from May 5th to 7th.

Interview with Olivia Remie Constable, Director of Notre Dame's Medieval Institute

Olivia Remie Constable, Professor of History, has been appointed to a five-year term as the Robert M. Conway Director of the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame. Professor Constable has been serving as the acting Director of the Medieval Institute since July 2008, while continuing her work on the economic, social, and urban history of the medieval Mediterranean world, especially contacts among Muslims, Christians, and Jews in this region.

We interviewed Professor Constable to ask her about her goals for improving the Medieval Institute:

1. You have been the acting director for close to a year now. Is it relief to drop the 'acting' from the title and now be secure in the knowledge that you have this role for the next 5 years?

In many ways, the shift from acting director to full director does not actually mark a big shift. In fact, it was helpful to have a full year to learn the job and to decide whether I liked it, before being given the opportunity to take it on for a longer term. On the other hand, much of the work of being director involves long term plans, such as inviting speakers and organizing future conferences. So it is nice, as full director, to be able to foresee guiding our current plans to fruition over the next few years. Also, since the director of the Medieval Institute is also the director of our graduate program in Medieval Studies, it is rewarding to know that I have several years to oversee the progress and successes of our students.

2. What will be your priorities in developing and growing the Medieval Institute over the next five years?

We currently have an initiative to build our program in Byzantine studies, with the hire of new faculty members in History and Theology, and the creation of a graduate program in that area. We also have new strength in medieval musicology, with Notre Dame's recent hire of Margot Fassler and Peter Jeffrey, and we plan to create a new graduate track in medieval music.

3. A challenge of any academic program is maintaining and increasing its financial resources. Do you have any concerns that the current economic downturn in the United States could affect the Medieval Institute?

Obviously, any academic program needs to maintain and hopes to increase its funding. However, we have been lucky that during the current economic downturn, Notre Dame has been somewhat less badly hit than some universities because of a very prudent policies for the endowment and careful investing. We will certainly feel the tighter economy, but I do not foresee any serious long-term impact on our medieval programs. Because Medieval Studies is so prominent at Notre Dame, and fits so well with the mission of the university, I do not think that our programs are in danger of major budget cuts. Also, as well as funding from the university, the Medieval Institute has its own endowment, through the generosity of Robert M. Conway, one of the trustees of the university, and this provides significant assistance to our programing.

4. What do you think are the strengths of your institute and Notre Dame University in doing research and teaching about the Middle Ages?

Our primary strengths are in our faculty (we have over sixty medievalists drawn from a dozen different departments), our excellent library resources, and our solid financial support from the university. Our greatest strength focuses on medieval Latin Europe, but we are growing stronger in coverage of the Islamic World and the Greek East.

5. Finally, you are also working on your own project "Muslims in Medieval Europe". Could you tell us a little bit about what this entails?

This project looks at issues in the daily life of Muslims (both free people and slaves) living under Christian rule in Spain, Italy, and France in the period 1100-1400. I am especially interested in the different ways in which Christians perceived and even facilitated Muslim identity, and the ways in which attitudes shifted over the period of three centuries.

Canadian Scholar Discovers Medieval Book for Women

A Wilfrid Laurier University professor has just discovered an English book from 1457 that shows women in the role of healers, household managers, even fighters.

The 73-page book proves many women of this time were an "avid, active, intelligent, reading population," with varied and substantial roles in society, says James Weldon, an English professor.

He found the Middle English anthology in the national library at Naples, Italy. It's hand-sewn, handwritten and had pages of a type of paper made from linen.

Included are a variety of topics: medicinal recipes to help with the pain of childbirth, instructions on how to coax a rabbit out of its hole, a recipe for pear preserves, and directions for making sealing wax.

"There are very few secular vernacular books oriented towards women," said Weldon, who presented a paper on the anthology at a meeting of the Canadian Society of Medievalists, part of the annual Social Sciences and Humanities Congress in Ottawa. This one is interesting, he said, because it helps explain women's culture and reading.

The manuscript is quite clearly directed at wealthy, aristocratic women, he said, particularly because there are references to spices such as cinnamon, which was very expensive and hard to get then.

A true signal of the anthology's prospective audience was found in some unusual script, Weldon said. "I noticed in the Chaucer tale that every time the female name Grisilde appears it is extended out to the left and written in larger black ink. I thought: Why this focus on the name of a female?"

As he combed through the manuscript and discovered the first medical prescriptions in the anthology were for childbirth, Weldon could only come up with one explanation: the anthology was for women.

In total, there are 140 recipes or prescriptions in the anthology; most are medicinal but some are of a more domestic nature, giving instructions on how to make sealing wax, quince preserve and a broth thickener. The recipes all incorporate elements that were considered appropriate for women's activities, Weldon said.

And the recipes - both medicinal and otherwise - are meant to be read in conjunction with the romances, such as Sir Bevys of Hampton, the tale of a saint's life, and The Clerk's Wife by Chaucer.

What the anthology paints "is quite an interesting picture of women's interests and their real contribution in activities in the Middle Ages. ... Nobody knows how and why this distinguished secular manuscript ended up in Naples but it gives us quite a dynamic picture of women's culture."

Archaeological discovery of Norse presence on Baffin Island

One of Canada's top Arctic archeologists says the remnants of a stone-and-sod wall unearthed on southern Baffin Island may be traces of a shelter built more than 700 years ago by Norse seafarers - a stunning find that would be just the second location in the New World with evidence of a Viking-built structure.

Canwest News Service reported that the signs of a possible medieval Norse presence in the Canadian territory of Nunavut were found at the previously examined Nanook archeological site, about 200 km southwest of Iqaluit, where people of the now-extinct Dorset culture once occupied a stretch of Hudson Strait shoreline.

Newfoundland's L'Anse aux Meadows is the only known location of a Viking settlement in North America. But over the past 10 years, research teams led by the Canadian Museum of Civilization's chief of Arctic archeology, Pat Sutherland, have compiled evidence from field studies and archived collections that suggests Norse explorers were visiting other parts of Canada.

At three sites on Baffin Island, which the Norse called 'Helluland' or 'land of stone slabs', and at another in northern Labrador, the researchers have documented dozens of suspected Norse artifacts such as Scandinavian-style spun yarn, distinctively notched and decorated wood objects and whetstones for sharpening knives and axes. A single human tooth from one of the sites was tested a few years ago for possible European DNA, but the results were inconclusive.

Among the new artifacts found near the sod-and-stone features at Nanook is a whalebone spade - consistent with tools found at Norse sites in Greenland, and which might have been used to cut sections of turf for the shelter.

There is also evidence at Nanook of what appears to be a rock-lined drainage system comparable to ones found at proven Viking sites.

The apparent "architectural elements" found at the site "still have to be confirmed," Sutherland told Canwest News Service. "They're definitely anomalous for Dorset culture. And when you see these things in connection with Norse artifacts, it suggests that there may have been some kind of a shore station."

Sutherland's theory is that Norse sailors continued to travel between Greenland and Arctic Canada for generations after the failed colonization bid in Newfoundland. She believes they encountered and possibly traded with the Dorset, ancient aboriginals who were later overrun - probably before 1400 A.D. - by the eastward-migrating Thule
ancestors of modern Inuit.

The theory is a controversial one. University of Waterloo archeologist Robert Park recently challenged the dating of artifacts and Sutherland's interpretations of evidence in a paper published by the journal Antiquity.

Park argues that the "most plausible explanation" for Norse-like traces at Nanook and other sites is that "none of these traits come from Dorset-European contact."

He suggests such items may have been developed without any Norse influence by the ancient indigenous inhabitants of northern Canada. "Despite the difficulty of proving a negative - i.e. establishing that Dorset did not come into contact with the Norse - on the basis of these data there appears to be no convincing archeological evidence that contact occurred," Park concludes.

Sutherland insists that while proof of Norse-Dorset interaction isn't overwhelming, there are now "several lines of evidence" pointing to sustained contact. And she notes that the kind of ``boulders and turf'' structural feature observed at Nanook is "atypical for Dorset" and consistent with Norse culture.

"I think in any scientific field, when something new comes along that hasn't been given much consideration in the past, it generates debate," she said.

Sutherland, whose research is also featured in the current issue of Canadian Geographic, said a scientific paper summarizing a decade's worth of work on the national museum's Helluland project is due to be published in August. Further field work at a Dorset site in northern Labrador is scheduled for 2010, she added.

Stronghold Kingdoms

Live the life of a medieval lord in the world's first castle based MMO. Besiege the castle that's never been taken, overthrow tyrants, bankroll your factions war effort, pillage your neighbour's resources, peacefully raise sheep or do it all! The choice is yours in a wide ranging simulation of medieval life, played out in real time against thousands of online opponents striving for power and glory.

A unique hybrid of web and PC based gaming brings online interactivity and community together with a richly depicted medieval world of thriving villages and dramatic battles. Build a kingdom over days and weeks. A mix of real time gameplay with long term planning, bring a truly novel twist to the Strategy genre.



"Stronghold Kingdoms is the game I've always wanted to play, ever since I was a boy staring up at castles!" said Simon Bradbury, one of the game's designers.

A huge range of stats and rankings give every player something to aim for, whether it's 'Besieger of the month' or 'Apple farmer of the day'! Join a medieval social network! Factions and elections, liege lords and their vassals, all provide a real sense of structured community.

Whilst strong and well planned castles are at the heart of any lord's domain, players can also specialise via a vast research tree. Starting out as a humble peasant, each promotion brings research points to spend on becoming the best in as many areas as you wish, trading, diplomacy, warfare, farming and more, as the player seeks to control the local parish, county and beyond. As their power grows, players can eventually join in a country wide war for the Crown.

Classic Stronghold goes online in a world where players can, Build, Besiege, Pillage, Farm, Explore, Research, Vote, Trade, Banquet, Fight and much, much more. Many unannounced and surprising game features will be revealed in the coming months. "What is exciting about Stronghold Kingdoms," says Eric Oullett, CEO of Firefly Studios, "is not only are we taking Stronghold online and massively multiplayer, but we are funding this ourselves as an independent developer."

To keep up with Stronghold Kingdoms, visit http://www.strongholdkingdoms.com

800-year-old document found in Canada

St. Catharines Standard
28 May 2009

Brock University knew the historic parchment that had been tucked away in a drawer for more than 30 years was old. The best educated guess among faculty at the southern Ontario university pegged it somewhere in the 15th century.

But some online sleuthing and careful examination after its recent rediscovery leads experts at the university to believe the document is nearly 800 years old.

"We were all shocked to learn its age. It's pretty exciting," said David Sharron, Brock's head of special collections.

The document - written entirely in Latin on animal skin, possibly lamb - had been out of sight and out of mind for years. But it resurfaced last summer when Brock staff cleaned out a drawer in the special collections library.

The parchment, accompanied by a wax seal and quill sharpener, had a note attached to it, suggesting it may have originated in the 15th century.

Sharron recently asked a university staffer who is an expert in Latin - Andre Basson - to see if he could decipher the old text. Basson and Andrew McDonald, head of Brock's Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, were intrigued by what they saw.

With the help of faculty members in other departments, they began to trace the parchment's origins, using online records and medieval archives. They now believe the document dates back to 1216 and details a land transfer between Robert Clopton of England and his son, William.

The names of several witnesses signed on the record have helped investigators nail down the time frame, Sharron said. But as they try to learn more about the parchment's past, Brock is also trying to figure out exactly how the university got its hands on it.

It's known the university has had the document since at least 1976, but that's about all, Sharron said. "That's one of the mysteries about this thing ... Where they got it, we're still trying to figure it out."

Next to the parchment, the oldest item in the special collections department is a 1597 book. Most pieces in the collection are less than 200 years old and focus on Niagara. "I'm just thrilled we have a resource the students here at Brock and the faculty can look at and see what these documents look like," Sharron said.

Town council rules out buying Devizes Castle

Town council rules out buying Devizes Castle
Jill Crooks
21 May 2009
The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald


Devizes Town Council will not be exploring the idea of buying part of Devizes Castle.

A large part of the main section of the castle and the north tower is up for sale at a cost of £2.5 million because work commitments have forced the owner Jonathan Lewis to move back to London.

Town councillor Ray Parsons urged the town council to consider buying the property as he said the important landmark could be used as a tourist information centre, museum and cafe.



He said the town council could seek funding from organisations such as Wiltshire Council, English Heritage, the National Trust and Chamber of Commerce.

But at a full town council meeting on May 12 the majority of councillors voted against it.

Councillor Ray Taylor said: “The cost of purchase and ongoing costs would be an unacceptable drain on local council tax payers. The number of people required to sustain the castle as a tourist hub would be an imposition on existing residents and increase parking problems in the town centre.”

The access road to the castle is owned by another resident, Robin Taylor, who has stated he was unwilling to give unbridled access.

Local historian Dr Lorna Haycock wrote to the town council outlining her concerns. In her letter she said: “In the middle of a deep recession which may last for years it seems ludicrous to saddle already hard pressed council tax payers with an enormous debt, especially when grants are hard to come by. I understand that a lot of people are much attracted by this idea, perhaps without realizing the full implications for their pockets, but I do not want the council to end up with a ‘white elephant’ which would drain the resources of the town for the sake of a few tourists.”

Councillor Ian Hopkins said: “In an ideal world I think it would be a great asset to the town if it were an open space but it’s only one part of the castle. We should not consider going into this project because we would not have full control.”

Remains of Temple of Isis found in Florence Courthouse

ANSA - English Media Service
28 May 2009

Workmen inside Florence's courthouse have stumbled across a spiral column and hundreds of multicoloured fragments that experts believe may have belonged to a Roman temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis.

Dating to the second century AD, the remains were discovered as the men dug a five by three metre hole, barely four metres deep, for a new water cistern for the courthouse's anti-incendiary system.

"These finds are of extraordinary importance," said Alessandro Palchetti, the archaeologist charged with overseeing the works in the courthouse by Florence's archaeology superintendency, who suspected something interesting might be uncovered because of the area's historic relevance.

Palchetti said the remains were "comparable" to others found over the last three centuries in the immediate area that have also been attributed to the temple of Isis, the Egyptian goddess of motherhood and fertility who was later adopted by the Greeks and Romans.

The location of the temple is unknown, Palchetti said, but it is believed to have been built just outside the Roman part of the city, near the current courthouse building.

Meanwhile, Florence's Culture Councillor Eugenio Giani said ongoing excavations of an ancient Roman theatre under the city's Palazzo Vecchio will mean members of the public will be able to visit the site in two years' time.

Archaeologists have already uncovered the area where spectators sat and a portion of the orchestra as well as revealed the story of the theatre and its fall into disuse.

Constructed at the end of the first century AD, it was in use until the end of the fourth century before remaining structures were used as a burial place, stalls for animals and a prison during Medieval times.

"We'll continue to work on the central corridor which will give us a direct link with the Cortile della Dogana of Palazzo Vecchio from where people will be able to make the descent," said Giani.