Lesser known than some other beloved tales of larger-than-life heroes such as Gilgamesh, Beowulf and King Arthur, the Song of Wade is a case study in what happens when stories aren’t written down. The ...

The material on the covers of books from a French abbey was too hairy to have come from calves or other local mammals. Researchers identified its more distant origin. By Jack Tamisiea Medieval scribes ...

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Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. Sometimes, a great find is hiding right beneath one’s nose in ...

Using CT scanning on 16th-century books, researchers uncovered bits of parchment salvaged from handwritten manuscripts. By Katherine Kornei Even in medieval times, recycling was in vogue: Bits of ...

From the movement of stars to light streaming through stained-glass windows, light has long fascinated scientists and other thinkers. An exhibition at the Getty in Los Angeles explores how an emerging ...

To modern eyes, many medieval beliefs sound unbelievable — even absurd. Illness was blamed on sin, bad air, or demonic forces rather than bacteria. Bloodletting was prescribed as a cure for everything ...