Monthly Archives: May 2013

Byzantine clothing fashion

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Ruth

We know the culture of Constantinople mainly through its own art, especially wall and floor mosaics that lasted through time. We don’t seem to have many images, certainly not as many as from later medieval Europe, but what we have … Continue reading →

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The Fall of Roman clothing

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Ruth

The “Middle Ages” period is defined as the time after Roman hegemony centered in Rome itself. After Rome was overrun by Goths and ceased to control its empire, Constantinople was called the New Rome or Eastern Rome. Its cultural domination … Continue reading →

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Modern European cooking begins

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Ruth

1400: firewood is scarcer than ever, with just one iron forge using up to 100 oak trees per year. Wild game animals are hoarded by aristocrats on their shrinking forest estates (parks). But beer is flowing, with a surplus of … Continue reading →

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Side note: Jews and the Black Death

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Ruth

Why did Jews get targeted during the plague? Here’s what happened (copied from FB comments string on “The Great Mortality” post): By this time, England and northern France had expelled their Jewish populations. Jews lived in Spain, southern France (Marseille … Continue reading →

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Post-plague diet shift

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Ruth

The collapse of the medieval farm economy had a very wide impact on European society. Farming had been based on semi-slavery in which tenants owed the landowner certain days of free labor. They weren’t allowed to leave this contract without … Continue reading →

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The Great Mortality

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Ruth

Although historians count the Middle Ages as running through 1450, when Constantinople fell to the Turks, there’s a compelling argument for ending the era a century sooner, in 1350. By that year, Europe as it had been for the last … Continue reading →

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Ale and beer

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Ruth

In the early Middle Ages, ale and beer didn’t refer to separate drinks; they were more or less interchangeable. The brew indicated was made from sprouted wheat (dried and ground) brewed in water and then left to ferment. They added … Continue reading →

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Wine improvements

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Ruth

During the Middle Ages, Europe’s winemaking went from super primitive to setting the world’s standards. How did this happen? One way to answer is, well, that was Europe’s genius. Something about the close-set rivers and mountains kept the land broken … Continue reading →

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Wine’s beginnings in Europe

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Ruth

The Romans planted vineyards in southern France and in the Rhine valley; viticulture spread with both majority Christian and minority Jewish settlement, since both religions required wine in their services and rituals. During the Medieval Warm Period, grapes could grow … Continue reading →

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Would you like water with your meal, sir?

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Ruth

The highly spiced, meaty dishes at a feast made diners thirsty. What did they drink? First, what didn’t they drink? Water. Water was universally shunned as a beverage, for a number of reasons. First, cold water was considered unhealthy by … Continue reading →

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