Gone Medieval

For thousands of years, the building of walls has played an essential role in shaping the world as we know it; from being used to monitor populations to controlling trade, they have often acted as borders of entire nations. In this episode, Howard Williams takes us through some of the most famous walls in medieval history and explores how two of the best-known linear earthworks in western Britain, Offa's Dyke and Wat's Dyke, have served to separate England and Wales. Howard Williams is a Professor of Archaeology at the University of Chester. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taxes are now an established aspect of our lives, but scattered across Britain’s countryside are reminders of their earliest days, when farmers were obliged to offer 10 percent of their produce to the church: these are tithe barns. In this episode, Joseph Rogers explains how we can spot a tithe barn, what they were built for and how they have survived to the present day. Joseph is the author of Tithe Barns and Britain’s Greatest Bridges. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we think of great Medieval battles, many people imagine the Battles of Hastings or Agincourt. Another clash, however, between the kings of England, Dublin, Scotland and Strathclyde late in AD 937, also had far-reaching consequences and resulted in alliances of a scale unseen before. For this episode, we're joined by historian and author Michael Livingston to delve into the location of the battle, the events that ensued and why, generations later, the Battle of Brunanburh is known to many as 'The Great Battle'. Michael Livingston is a historian, a professor of medieval literature, and author of 'Never Greater Slaughter: Brunanburh and the Birth of England'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Born in 1415 as the youngest of the 1st Earl of Westmorland's 22 children, Cecily Neville led one of the Medieval periods' most captivating lives. The wife of Richard, Duke of York, and the mother of two kings of England—Edward IV and Richard III, her life was filled with promise and power from the very beginning. In this episode of Gone Medieval, fact meets fiction! Matt is joined by author Annie Garthwaite, as they delve into her debut novel 'Cecily'. With extracts from Annie's newly released book, we examine the mind and life of an aristocratic medieval woman, mother, and wife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Viking remains find themselves under a house in Orkney? In 2015, human remains were unearthed on the northeast coast of Papa Westray. The graves were stumbled upon by sheer luck, with further investigations revealing the finds to be remains of Viking age burials. Cat is joined by field archeologist Lindsey Dunbar, who served as a project manager for the rare discoveries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What was the role of a queen in the Medieval Age? Was she there to strengthen the position of her family and build alliances to protect the interests of England? To stand idly by as her husband took decisions for the nation, then took mistresses for himself? Or could she have a more active role? In this episode with Dr Joanna Laynesmith, we explore the vital historical discipline of medieval queenship, looking at the role of the four women crowned queen of England during the last half- century of the medieval period. Joanna is the author of ‘The Last Medieval Queens: English Queenship, 1445-1503’.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Approximately 1.35 billion people use it, either as a first or second language, so English and the way that we speak it has a daily impact on huge numbers of people. But how did the English language develop? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Cat spoke to Eleanor Rye, an Associate Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics at the University of York. Using the present day language, place names and dialects as evidence, Ellie shows us how English was impacted by a series of migrations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Founded in the late 11th century after the Norman conquest of England, the town of Ludlow is critical to Medieval history. From an impressive castle built to defend the borders of England against the Welsh, to a fortified town brimming with industry and commerce, to an archaeological gold mine, it offers incredible insight into the lives of people in Medieval England. In this episode, Matt speaks to the Resident Archaeologist at Ludlow Castle, Leon Bracelin, about his favourite finds. They delve into the fine details of the lives of former residents of Ludlow for a remarkably close look at Medieval England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Runes give us a unique understanding of the Vikings in their very own words. While the Latin alphabet became widely adopted in northwestern Europe during the medieval period, in some places this happened late and it wasn’t the only language used. So if we want to get into the minds and lives of the Vikings we need to turn to runology. Cat is joined by Judith Jesch, Professor of Viking Studies at the University of Nottingham, as well as a specialist in runology and the Old Norse language. Judith takes us through the world of runes, from runic love notes, to inscriptions on footwear, to whether or not they were used for magical powers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How different is battlefield archaeology compared to other disciplines? Do local legends ever help track down evidence in a field? And why are potato fields in particular sometimes problematic for archaeologists... Sam Wilson, a specialist in battlefield and conflict archaeology, joins Matt to talk through his specialist work and explain more about some of his incredible discoveries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.