Hans Talhoffer's Medieval Warefare Insights are Revealed from Royal Library, Copenhagen

I recently watched a very interesting program about Medieval warfare, which I have to say, I know little about. The National Geographic program; Medieval Fight Book however, unveiled some rare insights into the strategies and methods of combat during the 15th C, which revealed some surprising evidence of new war machines, weapons and the means by which even a woman could compete in and win a battle.



http://www.aemma.org/onlineResources/talhoffer1459/contents_body.htm

http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/materialer/haandskrifter/HA/e-mss/thalhofer/thott-2_290.html

National Geographic unveils New Discoveries behind the Staffordshire Hoard

Last night, the National Geographic channel aired the first behind the scenes insight into the revelations of the Staffordshire Hoard, as it is slowly conserved and researched at institutions across England and Europe.

The program previewed some of the artifacts found in the 3,500 piece collection and showcases some of the further discoveries that have been made since the unparalleled collection was unearthed by metal detectorist Terry Herbert in 2009.

Professionals and historians, namely Curator Dr David Symons, Dr Kevin Leahy; Anglo Saxon Metal Work expert, Lead Conservationist; Deborah Cane and Anglo Saxon Craft Specialist; Dane Roper, from the Birmingham and Stoke Museums and the British Museum, explore some interesting theories behind the Hoard's reason for being, its craftsmanship, its provenance and its ultimate end in the field in which it was found in the Staffordshire countryside 2 years ago.

The team of experts seem to have discovered that the majority of the Hoard is made up of artifacts to do with war and warfare in its true sense, in that, the artifacts are not only extremely decorative, but also made with a lethal and effective purpose to the destruction of enemies.

New breakthroughs after conservation of some of the artifacts indicate how and where the objects were made. The ruby red garnets, which brightly adorn many of the artifacts found in the Hoard, are thought to have been sourced from Europe and Asia. Through research conducted at the Louvre museum using a Particle Extractor, the researchers found that the chemical composition of the gemstones could be linked to those found in the geographical areas of Sri Lanka and the old kingdom of Bohemia, now the Czech Republic. The program also showcases a collection of 7thC tools, found just 100 miles away from the Hoard's location, that are thought to be similar to the tools used by the craftsmen of the Staffordshire Hoard. This has shed light on the production of the beautiful high grade metalwork, which is consistently accomplished across the collection.

Similar scientific technologies have been utilised at the British Museum to determine more about the type of gold used in the pieces of the Hoard. Dr Symons believes that the gold must have been sourced from the Byzantine Empire, that in the 6thC held a treasury of 400,000 lbs in weight of gold. The Staffordshire Hoard's gold totals 11lbs in weight.

The apparent difference in the colour of gold between each object and the discolourations within each object, suggested impurities with the gold used. These impurities signify the composition of the gold and specific compositions can be linked to geographical locations where the gold has originated. In the same way that the Particle Extractor was used for the garnets, the British Museum used X Ray Florescence to determine the different elemental compositions of each artifact within the collection.

The X Ray's revealed there were impurities from other metals such as silver, in the gold. This most commonly occurred when gold was melted down and other metals were introduced for reuse. This could mean that the gold used for the artifacts in the Staffordshire Hoard may have been taken from existing pieces that were melted down and salvaged. Other signs of recycling throughout the Hoard are seen in the use of ancient Roman glass and mosaic that appear in some of the objects, indicating the Anglo Saxon's resourcefulness.

The indication that the gold had been melted down from another source in order to create the objects found in the Hoard, has lead to some questions about the original source of the gold. If the gold did come from the Byzantine Empire, as Dr Symons suggests, then the program explored the possibility of the gold coming from Byzantine gold coins. It is estimated that it would have taken 3000 gold coins to create the amount of gold needed for the objects found in the Staffordshire Hoard. As gold coins were a rarity during the Anglo Saxon period, this theory seems to be unfavorable. The next hypothesis is that the gold has originated as other forms of sword hilts and spoils of war from Byzantium. It would then have been brought over to England and reworked to result in the stunning artifacts we see today. This would also support the time-line within the pieces of the Hoard itself, which span at least 150 years. The earliest piece in the collection is estimated to date around 550bc and the latest date, between 680-700bc, with an early Christian Cross estimated as being from the early 8thC.

The context of the surrounding landscape where the Hoard was unearthed, has also been researched. A geophys report into the area produced a pocket of interest near to where the Hoard was located. Although this didn't produce a barrow or ditch as the experts were hoping, a survey of soil samples were taken by Environmental Archaeologist Dr Ben Geary of a cross section of the the plants and insects surrounding the area at the time. Dr Geary and his team produced a report of the pollen, revealing the area was on a high ground of heathland and encompassed by a densely wooded area. Therefore it seems that the Hoard was buried in a distinct visual island that would have been easily recognisable and relocated.

Questions must still remain then, as to who would bury such a treasure and why no-one ever returned to claim it.

The program will air again on Monday 16th of January on the National Geographic channel at 2pm. You can go to visit the Hoard at both the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke on Trent. You can also keep up to date with the conservation of the Hoard and any new discoveries by logging onto or subscribing to their blog; http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/blog/research

Photo's courtesy of Robert Clark.

http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/

http://www.robertclarkphoto.com/

http://natgeotv.com/uk/saxon-gold-new-secrets-revealed/about

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/11/gold-hoard/clark-photography#/01-staffordshire-treasure-3500-pieces-670.jpg

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/national-geographic-channel/all-videos/

Television that offers Illumination on the Kings of the Dark Ages

Illuminations: The Private Lives of Medieval Kings is a new series about to start on BBC4 tonight at 21:00 and will continue into next week. The series concentrates on the British Library's Royal Manuscripts Illumination collection and delves into the great illuminations through the Medieval period to discover their meaning, symbolism and creation.

Episode One; Ruling by the Book:

Dr Janina Ramirez unlocks the secrets of illuminated manuscripts that were custom-made for kings and explores the medieval world they reveal. She begins her journey with the first Anglo-Saxon rulers to create a united England, encountering books in the British Library's Royal manuscripts collection which are over a thousand years old and a royal family tree which is five metres long.

Janina finds out about a king who had a reputation for chasing nuns and reads a book created as a wedding gift for a ten-year-old prince. She roams from Westminster Abbey to other ancient English spiritual sites such as Winchester, St Albans and Malmesbury, and sees for herself how animal skins can be transformed into the finest vellum.

The British Library's exhibition; Royal Manuscripts. The Genius of Illumination, began in November 2011 and will continue until 13th March 2012.

Dozens of medieval manuscripts from the Royal and other British Library collections will be featured in a television series to air on BBC Four, beginning next week. Presented by art historian Dr Janina Ramirez, Illuminations: The Private Lives of Medieval Kings is a three-part series examining in detail what these manuscript treasures can reveal about the hidden lives of England's monarchs.

The series was produced as part of The British Library's ongoing collaboration with the BBC, and in conjunction with our exhibition of manuscripts from the Royal collection. Many of the manuscripts featured have never before appeared on film (a few of our curatorial team will be making their television debuts as well).

Dr Scot McKendrick, Head of History and Classics at the British Library, served as a series consultant on the programmes. He says, 'There is no doubt that this collection held by the British Library provides us all with unique opportunities to explore in-depth the lives of our kings from the medieval period. The beauty and ingenuity of these manuscripts, that have stood the test of time, also tells us a great deal about a relatively forgotten period of our history. We are delighted to be telling this fascinating story through the British Library's exhibition and through this mesmerising series with BBC Four.'

The first episode, called Ruling by the Book, will air on BBC Four on Monday 9 January at 21:00, and will also be available after the broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

Further information is available from the British Library's press release, and there is also a review of the programme in the Daily Mail. This review ends with a reference to the long-running debate over whether or not gloves should be worn by curators handling illuminated manuscripts, a topic previously discussed in our blog.

The Library, in keeping with the latest cultural trend to attempt to reach a wider audience, has provided a wealth of information about the exhibition, linking facebook, apps, blogs and online video's to engage with the prospective visitor or interested viewer. The 'Royal App' is actually very interesting and for £2.99 you can access;

• 58 manuscripts from the exhibition, each with interpretive text
• 500 high-resolution manuscript images of some of the best surviving examples of medieval painting in England, including many pages not on display in the exhibition
• 6 expert curator videos exploring the history and details of the manuscripts
• Functionality to star your favourite items and view them together in one place

Selected manuscripts include colourful histories and genealogies, Bibles and Psalters, scientific works and accounts of coronations.

Highlights include:

• Book of Hours made for Margaret Beauchamp (great-grandmother of Henry VIII)
• Henry VIII’s Psalter, commissioned and annotated by the king himself
• Maps of an itinerary from London to Apulia and to the Holy Land
• Shrewsbury book, presented to Margaret of Anjou on her marriage to Henry VI in 1445

Please note, a WiFi connection is required to download the app and to view the videos.

There is also the usual exhibition catalogue to provide substantial academic support. The British Library's website says;

Illuminated manuscripts collected by the kings and queens of England from the 9th to the 16th century form the heart of a unique and visually stunning collection held by the British Library. A key figure in the formation of the collection is King Edward IV (1461 – 1483), who commissioned luxury manuscripts decorated with his arms. Subsequent monarchs added to this library, which was given to the nation by George II in 1757.Over 150 examples from this exceptional collection are presented in this catalogue, which accompanies a major British Library exhibition of the same name. These manuscripts contain paintings produced by some of the finest artists of the Middle Ages and together provide the most vivid surviving source for understanding royal identity, moral and religious beliefs, learning, faith and international politics.The catalogue features a full-page entry of around 750 words on each manuscript included, as well as three illustrated essays which explore the wider history and context of this unique collection. It is lavishly illustrated, with a beautiful reproduction of an image from each manuscript presented alongside the text for every entry.

http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/royal/

http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/royalman/about/index.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0192nrg