middle ages

Archaeologists Uncover A Medieval Village And More Than 1,000 Burials While Excavating A French Abbey

Beaumont Abbey was in operation for more than 800 years before the government seized its lands and expelled its nuns during the French Revolution.

By Austin Harvey • Feb 27, 2024

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Archaeologists Uncover A Medieval Village And More Than 1,000 Burials While Excavating A French Abbey

Beaumont Abbey was in operation for more than 800 years before the government seized its lands and expelled its nuns during the French Revolution.

By Austin Harvey • February 27, 2024

The Pear Of Anguish And Its Alleged Use As A Torture Device In Early Modern Europe

A rumored torture device developed in 17th-century Europe, the pear of anguish combined sexual violation and horrifying physical pain, making it one of history's most brutal instruments of agony.

By Wyatt Redd • Feb 26, 2024

The Pear Of Anguish And Its Alleged Use As A Torture Device In Early Modern Europe

A rumored torture device developed in 17th-century Europe, the pear of anguish combined sexual violation and horrifying physical pain, making it one of history's most brutal instruments of agony.

By Wyatt Redd • February 26, 2024

Angrboda, The Norse ‘Mother Of Monsters’ Whose Children Were Destined To Cause The Apocalypse

When the giantess Angrboda bore three monstrous children with the trickster god Loki, Odin banished them, rightfully fearing they'd spark the doomsday event known as Ragnarök.

By Marco Margaritoff • Feb 24, 2024

Angrboda, The Norse ‘Mother Of Monsters’ Whose Children Were Destined To Cause The Apocalypse

When the giantess Angrboda bore three monstrous children with the trickster god Loki, Odin banished them, rightfully fearing they'd spark the doomsday event known as Ragnarök.

By Marco Margaritoff • February 24, 2024

This Week In History News, Jan. 21 – 27

Ancient Roman arm guard rebuilt in Scotland, Stone Age "chewing gum" found in Sweden, medieval gauntlet unearthed in Switzerland.

By All That's Interesting • Jan 26, 2024

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This Week In History News, Jan. 21 – 27

Ancient Roman arm guard rebuilt in Scotland, Stone Age "chewing gum" found in Sweden, medieval gauntlet unearthed in Switzerland.

By All That's Interesting • January 26, 2024

‘Sensational’ 14th-Century Gauntlet Discovered In Switzerland

Only five 14th-century gauntlets have been discovered in Switzerland, but this one is by far the best preserved.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jan 22, 2024

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‘Sensational’ 14th-Century Gauntlet Discovered In Switzerland

Only five 14th-century gauntlets have been discovered in Switzerland, but this one is by far the best preserved.

By Kaleena Fraga • January 22, 2024

This Week In History News, Jan. 14 – 20

Sword from the Viking Age dredged up in Poland, network of ancient cities uncovered in the Amazon, fossils of prehistoric "terror beast" worms found in Greenland.

By All That's Interesting • Jan 19, 2024

News

This Week In History News, Jan. 14 – 20

Sword from the Viking Age dredged up in Poland, network of ancient cities uncovered in the Amazon, fossils of prehistoric "terror beast" worms found in Greenland.

By All That's Interesting • January 19, 2024

The Strange And Misunderstood History Of The Chastity Belt

While chastity belts have become part of our understanding of the Middle Ages, they were likely fabricated by historians during the Renaissance.

By Aimee Lamoureux • Jan 18, 2024

The Strange And Misunderstood History Of The Chastity Belt

While chastity belts have become part of our understanding of the Middle Ages, they were likely fabricated by historians during the Renaissance.

By Aimee Lamoureux • January 18, 2024

Unusual Medieval Cemetery Where People Once Feasted And Played Games Unearthed In Wales

The cemetery, located on the grounds of Fonmon Castle in the south of Wales, paints a perplexing picture of medieval burial rites.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jan 8, 2024

News

Unusual Medieval Cemetery Where People Once Feasted And Played Games Unearthed In Wales

The cemetery, located on the grounds of Fonmon Castle in the south of Wales, paints a perplexing picture of medieval burial rites.

By Kaleena Fraga • January 8, 2024

Inside The Reconquista, The Centuries-Long Battle For Control Of The Iberian Peninsula

After Muslim armies conquered the Iberian Peninsula in the eighth century, European forces began a campaign to retake the territory, which would ultimately last about 770 years.

By Marco Margaritoff • Dec 29, 2023

Inside The Reconquista, The Centuries-Long Battle For Control Of The Iberian Peninsula

After Muslim armies conquered the Iberian Peninsula in the eighth century, European forces began a campaign to retake the territory, which would ultimately last about 770 years.

By Marco Margaritoff • December 29, 2023

The Brutal History Of The Thumbscrew, The Torture Device That Left Victims With Crushed Fingers And Toes

A torture device commonly used to elicit prisoner confessions in early modern Europe, the thumbscrew was designed to crush victims’ fingers or toes, leaving them in incredible pain — but alive.

By William DeLong • Dec 27, 2023

The Brutal History Of The Thumbscrew, The Torture Device That Left Victims With Crushed Fingers And Toes

A torture device commonly used to elicit prisoner confessions in early modern Europe, the thumbscrew was designed to crush victims’ fingers or toes, leaving them in incredible pain — but alive.

By William DeLong • December 27, 2023