Fragmentation in the Middle Ages: Call for Papers

While the ‘Medieval Exchanges in southern Italy’ project has now ended, the work it has started has not!  I will be co-organising a session at the forthcoming Theoretical Archaeology Conference 2008 at the University of Southampton entitled: Putting Humpty Together Again: Overcoming the Fragmentation of the Middle Ages The conference will be held at the… Continue reading Fragmentation in the Middle Ages: Call for Papers

‘What do you want the future of Seaton Delaval to be?’ and ‘Will you help?’

These are the words of the National Trust‘s Director-General, Fiona Reynolds on a new kind of campaign by the trust to get the public to decide the future of Seaton Delaval Hall, its gardens, grounds and a large area of countryside in south Northumberland near Blyth. The Trust intend to purchase the house and its… Continue reading ‘What do you want the future of Seaton Delaval to be?’ and ‘Will you help?’

Conservation and communication

Recently Tom blogged about the prospect of the National Trust’s massive investment into digital technologies, including the web. Electric Acorns is a great new blog started by a an NT employee and devoted to peeling back some of the layers of the great institution in an effort to allow the public and fellow professionals a… Continue reading Conservation and communication

Why close the Textile Conservation Centre?

Conservation has been high in my thoughts recently. Largely through my current work with ICOMOS-UK (International Council on Monuments and Sites UK) I have been exposed to the vicissitudes that affect the preservation and interpretation of our heritage, whether they are the result of inappropriate development, lack of funds or lack of collective and political… Continue reading Why close the Textile Conservation Centre?

Olio e vino nell’alto medioevo

The 54th Settimana di studio (study week conference), hosted by the Centro Italiano di Studi sull’Alto Medioevo (CISAM) was themed ‘Oil and Wine in the High Middle Ages‘ and took place in the beautiful medieval town of Spoleto, Umbria (20-26 April 2006). I was fortunate to have won one of the borsa di studio awarded… Continue reading Olio e vino nell’alto medioevo

Medieval Food and Feasting, and the emperor Charlemagne

Tehmina has now written two books, aimed at young adults (but very readable by any age really!). Her first is entitled “Medieval Feasts and Banquets: Food, Drink, and Celebration in the Middle Ages” which gives a great introduction to the subject, and blows away quite a few myths (bones being chucked over shoulders onto sawdust… Continue reading Medieval Food and Feasting, and the emperor Charlemagne

Research trip to Amalfi

In March 2005, we made our first joint research trip to Italy. Tehmina was already in Italy as the Tim Potter Memorial Awardee at the British School at Rome. Patricia Skinner also spent 3 weeks at the BSR to continue library-based documentary research on the Amalfitan mercantile diaspora.

The medieval ‘southern Italian’ collections of the British Museum

Where did they come from? The medieval ‘southern Italian’ collections of the British Museum On 15 February 2005, I delivered a short paper to the Associazione Internazionale di Archeologia Classica (AIAC) at the Swedish Institute of Rome. The paper was largely based on my research at the British Museum where I was examining artefacts with… Continue reading The medieval ‘southern Italian’ collections of the British Museum

Tim Potter Memorial Award

In March 2004, the British School at Rome (BSR) awarded me the Tim Potter Memorial Award. The award is aimed at scholars who have not previously had much opportunity to visit Italy to stay at the school and undertake research on Italian material culture and archaeology. The award includes full board and accomodation at the… Continue reading Tim Potter Memorial Award