IB DP History - Medieval Option

"The idea that Medieval people drank beer or wine to avoid drinking bad water is so established that even some very serious scholars see no reason to document or defend it; they simply repeat it as a settled truth. In fact, if no one ever documents the idea, it is for a very simple reason: it's not true."

"Why do maps always show the north as up? For those who don't just take it for granted, the common answer is that Europeans made the maps and they wanted to be on top. But there's really no good reason for the north to claim top-notch cartographic real estate over any other bearing, as an examination of old maps from different places and periods can confirm."

"This little-known power struggle between competing claimants to the throne had consequences that reverberated through history. We visit eight places associated with the dispute."

have a close look and see what is on the table and being carried out around the scene. Can you identify any foodstuffs or recipes we've already discussed? Can you make out the eating implements, or a formal layout of the table? Share your findings or thoughts below.

Another famous collection, now known as Le Viandier de Taillevent, was originally compiled at the beginning of the 14th century; later it was attributed to the head chef of the Valois court, Guillaume Tirel, also known as Taillevent, who had a long and distinguished career as a professional chef. Tirel had the status of a squire and the coat of arms on his tomb, at St Germain en Laye outside Paris, incorporates a row of three cooking pots. The collection has the distinction of being the first printed cookery book; this occurred in the 1480s and the book went through several subsequent editions. The contents were modified considerably with the passage of time; the first printed version contains an additional group of contemporary recipes that have been described as the 15th century French 'nouvelle cuisine'! - you can see an online version at:

This book is intended as a manual of 'good housekeepimg', presented as advice given by an elderly householder for his young wife. The recipes form a substantial section of the text. The manuscript includes descriptions of the food presented for a range of different occasions. The advice is quite particular; for example, the need to discard and replace the water used to soak pulses before cooking! An online translation

This page brings together all the recipes on this site redacted (updated) from the 1390 Medieval Manuscript The Forme of Cury (The [Proper] Method of Cookery). All recipes are given both in their original Middle English form, as updated English versions and as a modern redaction that and cook today could follow so that you, too, can prepare classic Georgian fare at home. Below I also provide a brief history of the manuscript. I am making my way through the entire recipe collection and as soon as they are added to my site they will be available here. (For the recipe list scroll down.) Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/the-forme-of-cury.php Copyright © celtnet

The manuscript dates to the last years of the 14th century, and was compiled for the court of King Richard II; a printed version was first published in the 18th century.

UC Press ebooks - publicly accessible, read online: Medieval Studies

"No matter which dates you use to define it, the medieval period was a very long time ago. Most of the people who existed during that time lived and died anonymously - at least as far as history is concerned. So how is it that we know anything about this period at all?"

"There are, in other words, no perfect maps-just maps that (more-or-less) perfectly capture our understanding of the world at discrete moments in time. In his new book, A History of the World in 12 Maps, Brotton masterfully catalogs the maps that tell us most about pivotal periods in human history. I asked him to walk me through the 12 maps he selected (you can click on each map below to enlarge it)."

The open source tool turns the vast history of the universe -- 13.8 billion years of information -- into an interactive, visual timeline. Features enable users to zoom in and out as they explore curated content about, for example, the history of life on Earth, extinction of the dinosaurs, or causes of World War I. Users also can author and share their own timelines about specific events or eras.

"This free interactive cultural and learning app will be of interest to anyone interested in Tudor history, cultural research, e-learning, art history, or the town of Thetford. It was created by a joint team from the University of Leicester, Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service, English Heritage, Oxford University and Yale Center for British Art. It stems from a 3-year project applying space science technology to art historical monuments."

"The Western Tradition is a free series of videos that traces the arc of western civilization. Starting in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, the survey proceeds to cover the Byzantine Empire and Medieval Europe,..."

"Major Document Collections"

"The Day the Universe Changed is a ten-part documentary television series presented by science historian James Burke. The series tells a series of stories of how specific scientific and technological advances have shaped the Western way of life."

"The Angevin Empire may have come about by a mixture of luck and calculation, but skill and respect for local custom were required for Henry II to preserve it intact."

"Saints are all around us, part of our daily lives whether we realize it or not. Plastic statues of Saint Christopher watch over commuters from the dashboard, 70,000 football fans in a New Orleans stadium chant "Saints, Saints, Saints!," and we say the names of American cities from Saint Petersburg (FL) to Saint Louis (MO) to Santa Barbara (CA) without giving much thought to the individuals they are named for."