Frisian Crusaders - Fierce Fighters Without Lords

From the late eleventh century onward, warriors from the Frisian coastal regions, a region stretching along the North Sea coast from the northern Netherlands to the mouth of the Weser, became a recurring presence in crusading expeditions. Contemporary observers repeatedly praised them as effective and reliable fighters, particularly in overseas campaigns. This is striking, since medieval warfare and crusading ideology are usually associated with feudal elites and mounted knights, while Frisia lacked both strong feudal structures and a cavalry tradition. How can the prominent role of a largely infantry-based, non-feudal society in the crusades between roughly 1097 and 1270 be explained?

Christmas and the medieval Templars

Did the medieval Templars celebrate Christmas and if so, how? 

Medieval Islamic Coines Found at Cluny Abbey, France

In September 2017, archaeologists of Université Lumière Lyon 2 and CNRS excavating the historic Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy, France, uncovered one of medieval Europe's most remarkable monetary treasures, a cache that had remained undisturbed for approximately 850 years. The discovery comprised over 2,200 silver coins minted at Cluny but also 21 gold dinars of Islamic origin, along with precious artifacts including a Roman signet ring. What do these finds tell us?

The early years of Geoffrey de Bouillon - on the job training for the First Crusade

Geoffrey (Godefroi, Godfrey ) de Bouillon, born around 1060, was a member of a prominent noble family in Bouillon, in the Ardennes region (now Belgium, Wallonia, province of Luxembourg), then a part of the Duchy of Lower Lorraine (Lotharingia). What do we know about his origins, childhood and early years?

Forests to Farmland - Drivers of the Age of Clearance in Medieval Europe

Between about 1050 and 1150, Europe underwent one of its most dramatic environmental and social transformations. Vast forests, wetlands, and marginal lands were cleared to make way for farmland, villages, and monastic estates, reshaping both the landscape and the structures of medieval society. What combination of forces, from climate and technology to institutions and population growth, drove this sweeping “Age of Clearance”?