Category Archives: Material Culture

Apocalypse Hier et Demain at the BnF in Paris

Posted on February 25, 2025 by briansandberg

The Bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris) has organized an exhibition on Apocalypse Hier et Demain (Apocalypse, Yesterday and Tomorrow), which is on display from February through June 2025. The exhibition explores the Book of Revelation and apocalyptic visions, before turning … Continue reading →

Posted in Art History, Atrocities, Civilians and Refugees in War, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern France, Early Modern World, European History, European Wars of Religion, French History, French Wars of Religion, History of the Western World, History of Violence, Italian History, Material Culture, Medieval History, Mediterranean World, Museums and Historical Memory, Reformation History, Religious History, Religious Violence, Renaissance Art and History, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History, World History | Leave a comment

Coins from the Norman Conquest of England

Posted on October 27, 2024 by briansandberg

Metal detector enthusiasts recently discovered a hoard of coins from the era of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066-1068. The New York Times reports that “the group huddled together in the farmer’s field, staring at the dozen or so … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, European Studies, French History, Material Culture, Medieval History, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Silk Road and Eurasian Cities

Posted on October 23, 2024 by briansandberg

A “casual tip” led archaeologist Michael Frachetti to the discovery of “Tugunbulak, an enormous fortified city dating back to a medieval empire. He and his team would spend nearly a decade trying to map out the site, as well as … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, Early Modern World, Globalization, History of the Western World, Material Culture, Medieval History, Urban History, World History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Netherlands Returns Looted Artifacts to Indonesia

Posted on September 22, 2024 by briansandberg

The Netherlands has returned numerous looted artifacts and art objects to Indonesia in a major repatriation. This move aims to make partial restitution for historical legacies of Dutch colonialism, imperialism, and slavery in Southeast Asia. The New York Times reports … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient History, Art History, Cultural History, Empires and Imperialism, European History, History in the Media, History of Slavery, History of Violence, Material Culture, Medieval History, Museums and Historical Memory, World History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Digital Mapping and Pre-Modern Violence

Posted on November 3, 2023 by briansandberg

Digital mapping projects are investigating episodes of violence in pre-modern societies in new ways. Interpersonal violence often erupted in pre-modern societies. Recent studies of late medieval England recount murders in urban centers: “A spice merchant stabbed by a fruit seller … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, Digital Humanities, European History, History of Violence, Manuscript Studies, Material Culture, Medieval History, Urban History | Leave a comment

NIU Book Lab and Printing Presses

Posted on October 11, 2023 by briansandberg

We are launching an exciting new project at Northern Illinois University to create a NIU Book Lab, which will focus on the history of the book, printing presses, and print culture! The Northern Illinois University Libraries have created a crowdfunding … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival Research, Cartographic History, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern France, Early Modern World, European History, European Wars of Religion, French Revolution and Napoleon, French Wars of Religion, History of the Book, Information Management, Material Culture, Mediterranean World, Museums and Historical Memory, Northern Illinois University, Political Culture, Public History, Rare Books and Pamphlets, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, Undergraduate Work in History, World History | Leave a comment

Pre-modern Whales and Whaling

Posted on September 16, 2023 by briansandberg

Pre-modern whaling may have contributed significantly to the decline and extinction of some species of whales, according to new research on whale bones. “Industrial-scale whaling in the 19th and 20th centuries nearly drove many whale species into extinction. Populations of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cartographic History, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Environmental History, Food and Cuisine History, Globalization, Maritime History, Material Culture, Medieval History, Renaissance Art and History, Social History | Leave a comment

Archaeologists Discover a Sumerian Tavern

Posted on February 22, 2023 by briansandberg

Archaeologists working in Iraq have discovered the remains of a Sumerian tavern in the ruins of the city of Lagash. “Archaeologists found a seven-room structure featuring an open courtyard with benches and a large open cooking area with a 10-foot-wide … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient History, Cultural History, Food and Cuisine History, History of the Western World, Material Culture, Urban History, World History | Leave a comment

History of Cartography Lecture at the Newberry Library

Posted on October 24, 2022 by briansandberg

The Newberry Library in Chicago has truly impressive cartographic collections and also hosts the Hermon Dunlop Smith Center for the History of Cartography. The Smith Center holds a major annual lecture series on the history of cartography at the Newberry … Continue reading →

Posted in Art History, Cartographic History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, Intellectual History, Lectures and Seminars, Material Culture, Renaissance Art and History, World History | Leave a comment

Teaching Technologies in the Early Modern Classroom

Posted on September 1, 2022 by briansandberg

The Center for Renaissance Studies at the Newberry Library has published a new blog post about early modern teaching technologies. This blog post focuses on the use of hornbooks in teaching basic reading. The post also briefly discusses early modern … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, History of the Book, Intellectual History, Material Culture, Rare Books and Pamphlets, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, Social History | Leave a comment