A calf belonging to a species of bison that became extinct in the wild in Western Europe in the Middle Ages has been born in Switzerland. The European bison calf was born in the Jura Mountains on July ...

Was adultery common in the Middle Ages, or was it a rare and harshly punished sin? In this video, we explore the realities of marriage, infidelity, and faithfulness in medieval Europe. From the Church ...

In Death and the Miser, a Dutch painting from around 1490, a hideous skeletal figure—a medieval version of the grim reaper—comes knocking at a man’s bedroom door. As death watches, the dying miser ...

Soaring Gothic cathedrals of radiant stained glass, plus art celebrating worldly pleasure. As Europe passed A.D. 1000, its growing prosperity was reflected in soaring Gothic cathedrals graced with ...

Why were the Middle Ages dark? Isn't it true that this epoch conjures up ominous images of superstition and witch-hunting? Burning pyres and plague doctors hurrying strangely muffled along dark ...

Every historical period has its "zombie myths" - ideas so ingrained into the popular imagination that they're almost impossible to kill, ones that rear their ugly heads again and again, as if they've ...

Meg Leja does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their ...

Early Europeans produce diverse art: from Christians to Muslims and Byzantines to Vikings. After Rome’s fall, Europe’s Christians kept culture alive with art rooted in their deep faith. We visit ...