About this Page
This page includes a very small array of resources for the student and scholar who focus on medieval history and culture. It is intended to serve as an introduction for the enormous number of associations, handbooks, and societies in various areas of research on the medieval period.
Please note: The list of handbooks on this page is a small selection of titles at USC Libraries. To find additional titles for handbooks relating to the medieval period in the USC Libraries' online catalog, select: Advanced Search. and restrict your search to Catalog then Type: Handbooks AND Medieval and, for each keyword, select the field: Subject.
Associations and Societies - A very Brief Listing
CARMEN. CARMEN is a worldwide network of medievalists, its name being an acronym for the "Co-operative for the Advancement of Research through a Medieval European Network". It links a number of research institutions, universities, interest groups and individuals with common scholarly interest in the study of the Middle Ages. While based in Europe, it reaches out to all continents to create an open and truly international platform of co-operation in the field of medieval research and teaching.
De Re Militari: the Society for Medieval Military History. Founded in 1992, De Re Militari is an academic organization for the study of medieval warfare, broadly construed. It has three major outlets for its educational activities. First is this website, which hosts many scholarly articles, primary sources, book reviews, and other resources for the study of military actions, technology, and topics from the fall of Rome to early seventeenth century. Second is our conference activity: each year, De Re Militari sponsors panels at international conferences on medieval studies and military history. Third, since 2003 De Re Militari has published (through The Boydell Press, distributed by Casemate), the periodical Journal of Medieval Military History (JMMH), the premier journal in the subfield.
Institute for Medieval Studies (University of Leeds). One of the major centers for Medieval Studies in the UK, offering interdisciplinary teaching at postgraduate level with both masters and PhD courses. It also offers discovery modules for undergraduate students with an interest in the medieval period. It is the home of the International Medieval Bibliography (IMB), established in 1967. See also: Leeds' International Medieval Congress: "Drawing medievalists from over 60 countries, with more than 2,000 individual papers as well as public concerts, performances, excursions, bookfairs and more, the International Medieval Congress (IMC) is Europe’s largest forum for sharing ideas in medieval studies."
The International Association of Byzantine Studies (Association Internationale des Études Byzantines – AIEB) was established in 1948, shortly after World War II. Its foundation emerged from the Byzantine congresses taking place at that time. It publishes the Bulletin d’Information et de Coordination aiming at promoting Byzantine studies at an international level. In November 2017 appeared the Newsletter of the AIEB. The main aim of the AIEB Newsletter “Byzantine News” is to facilitate information exchange among Byzantine scholars worldwide. It hopes to fulfill this aim by functioning as an information hub, i.e. by receiving and distributing news and information about activities and events that may be of interest to Byzantine scholars throughout the world. One of the most important activities of the AIEB is to organize international congresses which take place in a different country each time.
International Center of Medieval Art. In 1956, a group of medieval art historians and enthusiastic collectors and amateurs of medieval art founded a U.S. branch of a French organization called the Centre Internationale d’Etudes Romanes (International Center of Romanesque Studies). This American group was eventually expanded to become the International Center of Medieval Art (ICMA). At first headquartered at the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University, the ICMA was moved in 1969 to its present home at The Cloisters, the branch museum of The Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the art and architecture of medieval Europe
The mission of the International Center of Medieval Art is to promote and support the study, understanding, and preservation of visual and material cultures produced primarily between ca. 300 CE and ca. 1500 CE in every corner of the medieval world. To this end the ICMA facilitates scholarship and education and sponsors public lectures, conferences, publications, and exhibitions.
The Medieval Academy of America "The Medieval Academy of America is the largest organization in the United States promoting excellence in the field of medieval studies. It was founded in 1925 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Academy publishes the quarterly journal Speculum; awards prizes, grants, and fellowships; and supports research, publication, and teaching in medieval art, archaeology, history, law, literature, music, philosophy, religion, science, social and economic institutions, and all other aspects of the Middle Ages."
The Medieval Academy of Art. The Medieval Academy of America is the largest organization in the United States promoting excellence in the field of medieval studies. It was founded in 1925 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. The academy publishes the quarterly journal Speculum, and awards prizes, grants, and fellowships. The Medieval Academy supports research, publication, and teaching in medieval art, archaeology, history, law, literature, music, philosophy, religion, science, social and economic institutions, and all other aspects of the Middle Ages.
The Medieval and Renaissance Drama Society (MRDS). The Medieval and Renaissance Drama Society (MRDS) is an academic association of scholars and other persons interested in early drama. Our activities include organizing annual meetings, sponsoring long-range research projects, awards, and performances, such as the Mostly Medieval Theatre Festival. We also publish material of interest to the Society, including the journal, ROMARD: Research on Medieval and Renaissance Drama.
Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship. SFMS promotes the study of the Patristic Age, the Middle Ages, and the Early Modern era from the perspective of gender studies, women's studies, and feminist studies. It actively promotes and supports interdisciplinary exchanges at all levels of higher education across the world. Members represent every continent and every academic discipline within the arts & humanities.
Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies (SPBS). Established "in 1983, with the object of furthering study and knowledge of the history and culture, language and literature of the Byzantine Empire and its neighbours. Its scope is wide, covering history, archaeology, art history, philology, theology and literary studies, and embraces all the language areas formerly within the Byzantine Empire – Syriac, Armenian, Arabic and Slavic, as well as Greek and Latin."
Blogs - A Very Brief Listing
British Library Medieval Manuscripts Blog. "[This blog] promotes the work of our curators, who are responsible for these items and thousands more, including medieval historical and literary manuscripts, charters and seals, and early modern manuscripts, from Homer to the Codex Sinaiticus, from Beowulf to Chaucer, and from Magna Carta to the papers of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. / This blog provides regular updates on our digitisation projects, on current research, and on our exhibition programme."
The Iris - The Iris is the blog of the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles. "Launched in April 2010, the blog is a project of the entire Getty community, written by our curators, educators, scientists, scholars, digital specialists, guest speakers, interns, and many others. We strive to offer an engaging, behind-the-scenes look at art in all its aspects—history, conservation, research, publishing, education, and digital interpretation."
Manuscript Road Trip by Lisa Fagen Davis. "There has been increasing interest in recent years in identifying, classifying and cataloguing medieval manuscripts in North American collections. My friend and colleague Melissa Conway and I have been traveling and corresponding with curators and librarians all around the country since 1996, collecting data on the numbers and cataloguing status of pre-1600 manuscripts. In this blog, I’ll be taking readers on a (virtual) state-by-state tour of manuscripts in the lower 48 (I’ll get to Canada eventually, I promise!), focusing on less-well-known collections, some in very surprising locations.
The Medieval Academy Blog. "We regularly post prize announcements, call for papers, conference announcements, job postings, workshops, and other listings that may be of interest to our members. All postings to the blog also are published on our facebook page and twitter."
Medieval History Websites and Blogs. A listing of the latest news about what can be found on the Internet relating to the Middle Ages, including digitization projects, online collections and social networking.
Handbooks
Handbook of Medieval Culture. Volume 1 by Call Number: Available OnlineISBN: 9783110266597Publication Date: Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, Inc; 2015A follow-up publication to the Handbook of Medieval Studies, this new reference work turns to a different focus: medieval culture. Contents: Medieval Culture-An Introduction to a New Handbook; Animals, Birds, and Fish in the Middle Ages; Architecture; Visual Arts; Astrology, Alchemy and other Occult Sciences; Astronomy; The Bible and Biblical Exegesis; Children and Childhood in the Middle Ages; Chivalry and Knighthood; Church and the Clergy; Cities; Communication in the Middle Ages; Convivencia: Conquest and Coexistence in Medieval Spain; Medieval Courts and Aristocracy; Daily Life; Death; Dreams and Dream Theory; Dwarves, Trolls, Ogres, and Giants; Education and Schooling; Excrement and Waste; Fashion Fairy, Elves and the Enchanted Otherworld Feudalism in Literature and Society; Food and Cookbooks; Foreigners and Fear; The Forest, the River, the Mountain, the Field, and the Meadow; Friendship in the Middle Ages; Games and Pastimes; God; The Greek Orthodox Church; Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven; Horses and Equitation.
Handbook of Medieval culture. Volume 2 by Call Number: Available OnlineISBN: 3110377632Publication Date: Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015Vol. 2 Contents: Roads, Streets, Bridges, and Travelers; The Rural World and the Peasants; Saints and Relics; The Senses, the Medieval Sensorium, and Sensing (in) the Middle Ages; The Sermon in the Middle Ages; Ships and Seafaring; Threats, Dangers, and Catastrophes; Time and Timekeeping; Travel and Exploration in the Middle Ages; The Medieval University; War and Peace; Weapons, Warfare, Siege Machinery, and Training in Arms; Witchcraft and Superstition; Bibliography; Index of Names; General Index; Index of Works.
Handbook of Medieval Culture. Volume 3 by Call Number: Available onlineISBN: 9783110377576Publication Date: De Gruyter: 2015Vol. 3 Contents; Roads, Streets, Bridges, and Travelers; The Rural World and the Peasants; Saints and Relics; The Senses, the Medieval Sensorium, and Sensing (in) the Middle Ages; The Sermon in the Middle Ages; Ships and Seafaring; Threats, Dangers, and Catastrophes; Time and Timekeeping; Travel and Exploration in the Middle Ages; The Medieval University; War and Peace; Weapons, Warfare, Siege Machinery, and Training in Arms; Witchcraft and Superstition; Bibliography; Index of Names; General Index; Index of Works
Handbook of Medieval Studies by Call Number: Available onlineISBN: 9783110215588Publication Date: Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter; 2010This interdisciplinary handbook provides extensive information about research in medieval studies and its most important results over the last decades. The handbook is a reference work which enables the readers to quickly and purposely gain insight into the important research discussions and to inform themselves about the current status of research in the field. The handbook consists of four parts. The first, large section offers articles on all of the main disciplines and discussions of the field. The second section presents articles on the key concepts of modern medieval studies and the debates therein. The third section is a lexicon of the most important text genres of the Middle Ages. The fourth section provides an international bio-bibliographical lexicon of the most prominent medievalists in all disciplines. A comprehensive bibliography rounds off the compendium. The result is a reference work which exhaustively documents the current status of research in medieval studies and brings the disciplines and experts of the field together.
Thinking Medieval by Call Number: Doheny Memorial Library: D116 .B95 2005ISBN: 1403912947Publication Date: Basingstoke England/New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005This book is aimed at students coming to the study of western European medieval history for the first time, and also graduate students on interdisciplinary medieval studies programmes. It examines the place of the Middle Ages in modern popular culture, exploring the roots of the stereotypes that appear in films, on television and in the press, and asking why they remain so persistent. The book also asks whether 'medieval' is indeed a useful category in terms of historical periodization. It investigates some of the particular challenges posed by medieval sources and the ways in which they have survived. And it concludes with an exploration of the relevance of medieval history in today's world.
What Is Medieval History? by Call Number: Doheny Memorial Library: D117 .A72 2008ISBN: 9780745639338Publication Date: Cambridge, UK/Malden, MA, USA: Polity, 2008What is it that medieval historians do? And how - and why - do they do it? What is Medieval History? provides an accessible, far-ranging and passionate guide to the study of medieval history. The book discusses the creation of the academic field, the nature of the sources, the intellectual tools used by medievalists, and some key areas of thematic importance from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Reformation. Students, teachers, researchers and interested general readers will find the book an invaluable guide. The author explores his field through numerous fascinating case studies, including a magical plot against a medieval pope, a fourteenth-century insurrection, and the importance of a kiss exchanged between two tenth-century noblemen. Throughout the book, readers are shown not only what medieval history is, but the cultural and political contexts in which medieval history has been written. And, above all, What is Medieval History? demonstrates why the pursuit of medieval history continues to be important to the present and future world.
A Greek and Arabic Lexicon by Call Number: Doheny Memorial Library: PA184.3 .G74 1992ISBN: 9004094946Publication Date: Leiden/New York: E.J. Brill, 1992-From the eighth to the tenth century A.D., Greek scientific and philosophical works were translated wholesale into Arabic. This activity resulted in the incorporation and reorganization of the classical heritage in the new civilization which, using Arabic, spread with Islam. A Greek and Arabic Lexicon is the first systematic attempt to present in an analytical and rationalized way our knowledge of the vocabulary of the translations. It is based on the glossaries included in text editions, both published and unpublished, and on other materials gleaned from various sources. (...) It contributes to our knowledge of the vocabulary and syntax of Classical and Middle Arabic, of the thought and methods of the translators and of the nature of the translation activity into Arabic methods of the translators and of the nature of the translation activity into Arabic as a whole, and of the way a new vocabulary may develop in an existing language. (...) The work further contributes to our knowledge of the vocabulary of Classical and Middle Greek and of the reception and reading of classical Greek works in late antiquity and pre-Photian Byzantine literature.
A Companion to the Medieval World by Call Number: Available OnlineISBN: 1282548263Publication Date: Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013Drawing on the expertise of 26 distinguished scholars, this important volume covers the major issues in the study of medieval Europe, highlighting the significant impact the time period had on cultural forms and institutions central to European identity. Examines changing approaches to the study of medieval Europe, its periodization, and central themes Includes coverage of important questions such as identity and the self, sexuality and gender, emotionality and ethnicity, as well as more traditional topics such as economic and demographic expansion; kingship; and the rise of the West Explores Europe's understanding of the wider world to place the study of the medieval society in a global context
Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Medieval World by Call Number: Doheny Memorial Library, Reference: CB351 .E53 2008ISBN: 9780816069361Publication Date: 2008-06-01The new four-volume ""Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Medieval World"" provides readers with comprehensive coverage of the medieval world, from the fall of Rome to the European Renaissance, including Western and non-Western cultures and civilizations.Following an introduction that outlines the history of the major centers of civilization, this authoritative set features 71 alphabetical entries that explore specific topics - such as architecture, economy, art, and the military - followed by subsections on Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Islamic World. (...)
