A23 medieval bones were "accidentally dumped"

Medieval bones found by the side of the A23 are thought to have been accidently dumped there during the building of the road in the seventies.

A huge police operation was launched last May after road workers found a human jaw near Slaugham.

Now experts believe the remains were dropped there with the bodies of others as part of topsoil from cemeteries.

Forensic archaeologists were drafted in to discover whether the remains belonged to someone who had been reported missing or a murder victim.

But the police file was closed just weeks later after experts said they were of “ancient origin”.

Lucy Sibun, from Archaeology South East, led the investigation on behalf of Sussex Police.

In her report to the coroner she said: “When I began careful investigation and excavation of this topsoil further fragments of human bone were located within it but none of them represented an in situ grave but rather a disarticulated jumble of several individuals.

“Mixed in with them were frag- ments of butchered animal bone and badly degraded ironwork.”

Speaking to The Argus she said that the ironwork was more than likely some form of coffin furniture such as handles or hinges.

She added that the degraded nature of the metal pointed towards the bones being from the medieval to post-medieval period, sometime between the 14th and 18th century.

In her report she explained that the remains, which had all the characteristics of an “archaeological deposit”, appeared to have been in their broken and fragmented state before ending up at their final resting place.

She explained: “They most likely ended up at that site due to the building of the road in the 1970s.

“The topsoil, which is where we found the remains, probably came from a medieval churchyard.

“That could never happen nowadays because if a church wanted to expand or get rid of topsoil we would carry out a thorough search first.”

Without further investigation and a significant amount of funding it is difficult to provide specific details on the remains.

Their true origin will be a mystery as the coroner ordered that the bones should be disposed of.

[Source: Argus]

Cachtice Castle: Famed Home of the Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory

Cachtice Castle is situated in the illustrious Carpathian Mountains in Slovakia. Originally it was constructed as a guard post on the thoroughfare to Moravia. Cachtice Castle gained prominence when it became the home of Elizabeth Bathory, otherwise known as the “Blood Countess” or the “Bloody Lady of Cachtice”.

Originally, Cachtice was constructed in the Romanesque style during the 13th century by Kazimir of Hunt-Poznan, but was later renovated to both Gothic and Renaissance styles from the 15th to the 17th century. In the latter half of the 16th century, Ca...............

From: Cachtice Castle, Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and the Murders of Vienna

The Hundred Years War

The right of succession during the 14th century had complicated matters between England and France. This caused sudden and sustained warfare that lasted more than 100 years, later coined the Hundred Years War.

The Capetian Dynasty had failed to produce a male heir, and the closest relative in line was King Edward III of England, whose mother was Isabella. Isabella revolted against her husband Edward II and ruled England until her son took control. Read More about about the Hundred Years War

Published on Associated Content By Ancient Digger Owner Lauren Axelrod

Monday Ground Up: The English Reformation Compared to Its Counterparts

The English Reformation was an act of Henry VIII to divorce is wife Catherine of Aragon who had not yet produced a male heir. At the time, Ann Boleyn was a lady in waiting to the queen, however Henry had fallen in love with her and wanted to marry. His marriage to Catherine was already in disarray, and with his urgency to produce a male heir, he wanted to annul his marriage.

Henry sought the assistance of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who was the highest ranking English official to the king. In a twist, however, Pope Clement VII who was dependent on Charles V, nephew of Catherine of Aragon, created a delay and prolonged the process.

The English Reformation differed greatly with the reformations in other countries, creating a new authority which would have never been recognized during the reformation in Germany and the Catholic Reformation that revived Roman Catholicism.


The English Reformation was concreted in the ecclesiastical courts where the annulment of Henry VIII's marriage took place. All appeals of the English church courts in Rome were cut off, thereby eliminating papal authority in England, an act that was seen as heresy during the Catholic Reformation.

With the passing of the Act of Supremacy in 1534, Henry became the supreme head of the church. Henry VIII now controlled all church matters, in addition, Parliament passed the Treason Act which made it punishable by death to deny the king as head of the Church of England.

Thomas Moore, who was the former Lord Chancellor for Henry VIII, would not allow himself to pay loyalty to a secular ruler in the matter of faith. Furthermore, he was not alone in the matter, as many English felt not paying homage to the pope was unheard of. Moore was convicted of treason and beheaded in 1535.

After Henry VIII's death, his son Edward VI from his third wife Jane Seymour, took throne at nine years old. However, control went to the council of regency which moved the Church of England towards a more Protestant direction.

Parliament allowed clergy to marry and created a revised Protestant liturgy which was elaborated in The Book of Common Prayer.

When Mary I sought to restore Roman Catholicism she was met with opposition by Parliament. She burned Protestant heretics, gaining the title of Bloody Mary. Although she sought to achieve a restoration of Catholicism, the opposite of what she had intended occurred. Protestantism became for dominant than it was before her reign. Her death marked the end of Catholicism in England.

Reformation Under Luther

Similarly, Martin Luther split with the church because his ideals did not fit within the realm of the Catholic Church. Catholic doctrine emphasized faith and good works however Luther believed that humans were weak in the site of God and could not perform enough good works to merit salvation. He believed that through God's promises humans would reach salvation. Grace through faith was the primary doctrine of the Protestant Reformation.

The two pillars of the Protestant Reformation justified the Bible and faith as the sole authority in religious affairs. During the English Reformation under Henry VIII, the monarch was the sole authority of the church, so these two reforms differed in authoritative and religious issues.

Luther was aware of the implications of justifications by faith alone, most certainly when Pope Leo X issued an indulgence to construct Saint Peter's Basilica. Indulgences were sold in Germany to citizens who believed they could avoid damnation by purchasing a simple piece of paper.

Luther was eventually excommunicated in 1521. He was later summoned by Charles V at the imperial diet of the Holy Roman Empire in Worms. Expecting Luther to renounce his doctrines, he refused and stated his famous battle cry of the Reformation, denying the authority of the popes and councils as supreme. As for Charles V, his direction toward Catholicism was evident, as was his mother Mary, whose husband was Phillip II. They all shared the same vision of restoration.

The Catholic Reformation

The Catholic Reformation and the English Reformation could not have been more different. The Catholic Reformation was able to revive prior medieval Catholicism and reform the papacy, giving the church and the popes more strength and control.

New mysticism tied to the Catholic piety was especially evident. Pope Paul III increased the power of the Inquisition so liberalists were silenced. At the Council of Trent, reformers believed that they could establish doctrines that would encourage the Protestants to return to church. The seven sacraments and clerical celibacy was observed, and once again, faith and good works were required for salvation.

The Catholic Church was seemingly helpless to the evolution of the Protestant Churches and the Church of England. The Catholic Church also underwent a reformation concreted its place once again in the mid 16th century. All too soon, however, the divisions of the churches led to religious wars in the second half of the 16th century.

More Interesting Reading

Notre Dame Cathedral rests in the heart of Paris, France. It lies on the Seine River, about 1.2 miles down from the Louvre, on the opposite bank. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is nearly 900 years old and has an eclectic mix of architectural styles, artistic sculpture and designs. There are many Notre Dame Cathedrals throughout Europe, but Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral is arguably the most famous. The History of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France By Shelly Barclay



When we look at the old depictions of dragons we see they take different forms but were common in legends across all of Europe and Asia. Most depictions show a four-legged beast, some with wings, some without, we are looking at the winged animals. Their bodies usually are either long and serpent like or more robust. The word dragon itself traces to the ancient word Draco which in Roman times referred to any massive snake such as the python. Did Dragons Really Exist? By B Nelson

The Effects of the Reformation After the Split with Rome: The Council of Trent Part Two

At the Council of Trent, Catholic doctrines were reinstated which strictly opposed the Protestant position. The final doctrines were able to reaffirm Catholic teachings including the use of scripture and tradition, which in religious matters the Catholic Church had full control over the interpretation of.

The stress on faith, good works, the seven sacraments, clerical celibacy, and transubstantiation were all upheld.

The most significant decree passed was that of theological seminaries for the training of priests. In actuality, the council was able to solidify the Catholic Church which now possessed a clear body of doctrine and recognized that the popes were head of the Church. The Roman Catholic Church was now one denomination and upheld their strict doctrine which would not be altered for centuries.

The Effects of the Reformation After the Split with Rome: The Papacy Part One

The Turkish Bombard: The Ultimate in Medieval Weaponry

The Turkish Bombard, otherwise known as the Dardanelles Gun, was introduced to the Ottoman army of Mehmed the Conqueror in 1453 to lay siege on the powerful mega-fortification of Constantinople. Cast out of bronze materials, this revolutionary medieval weapon could fire stone cannon balls measuring a diameter of around 63 centimeters. The cannon balls were loaded in the back of the cannon where gunpowder was filled all the way up to the back of the cannon ball for rapid fire.

The cannon was lite with fire and within seconds, an enormous explosion of gun fire was able to create damage on fort walls measuring sometimes 4 feet in every direction.

The harbor of the Golden Horn was blocked by a boom chain and defended by twenty-eight warships. On April 22, Mehmed transported his lighter warships overland, around the Genoese colony Galata and onto the Golden Horn's northern shore; eighty galleys were transported from the Bosphorus after paving a little over one-mile route with wood. Thus the Byzantines stretched their troops over a longer portion of the walls.

After this conquest, Mehmed moved the Ottoman capital from Adrianople to Constantinople. The great ruler Constantine died as a result of protecting his beliefs to the very end during the siege.


Dismantled Dardanelles Gun at Fort Nelson

For 1000 years, the city of Constantinople was indestructible, however with the assistance of the Bombard, the city fell to the Ottoman army after a fifty three day siege.

Renaissance Papacy

As a contributing author to many writing sites, it sometimes happens that I post my history and archaeology articles there first. I didn't want any of you to miss out, so I am posting an excerpt from my latest piece titled "The Renaissance Papacy at the End of the Great Schism".

The Papacy of the Renaissance encompassed the line of popes from the conclusion of the Great Schism to the beginning of the Reformation in the early 16th century. The papacy had maintained its supremacy, although their moral ethics had overshadowed their ability to rule as religious figures. The Catholic Church was on the decline, and the popes were exerting their warlike efforts on society. However, there was still a focus on cultural affairs, as Rome was becoming a literary and artistic center of the Renaissance. It quite simply was a time where the latter overshadowed the pope’s duties as spiritual leaders to the people. Read More about my article on the Renaissance Papacy

Monday Ground Up: Distinctive Characteristics of Renaissance Art And Artists

Renaissance art has been characterized as an individualistic approach to humanism, where an eye of an artist interprets what they see everyday. The interpretations may have been realistically based and the emphasis on naturalism was used to persuade onlookers that an object was real-both living and breathing in the eyes of the artist. The standards reflected a focus of the human form and the social, political, and religious aspects of the time.

The Tribute Money, fresco in the Brancacci Chapel in Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence.

Giotto originally began the imitation of nature, however Massacio frescoes in Brancacci Chapel are the first masterpieces of Early Renaissance art. The use of realism to reflect perspective and a relationship between a figure and the landscape, bore a new type of painting and sculpture of dimensions. Other painters, such as Paulo Uccello used mathematical equations to determine space and light. However, this experimentation was more often opportunistic to showcase his mastery of perspective.

Part of the court in Florence was a circle of artists that were interested in Greek and Roman mythology. Sandro Botticelli's famous work, "Primavera" was a removal from realism. The emphasis was on the female form in a naturalistic way, with somewhat of an unworldly quality.

Donatello constructed "David", which first stood in the courtyard of the Medici Palace. The statue was heroic, simple and humanistic.

Architectural art was of great importance, especially since 1296 when the Duomo had just started being built. Brunelleschi drew his inspiration for the completion of the Duomo from Roman antiquity, so he devised a dome to finish the Duomo, which would span over a 140-foot opening.

Federico III da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino. Portrait

by Piero della Francesca, 1492.

One of the most influential  movements was that of human individuality in their present political or social state. Patrons and aristocrats found themselves painted into the corners of sacred pictures and depicted in statues. Piero della Francesca started capturing a new sense of political power and social standing of his subjects. Of course, this carried over to the High Renaissance where Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo re-focused a humanistic and individual aspect of painting and sculpture towards their commissioned works for the papacy, aristocrats, and political figures.

Leonardo's "Last Supper" depicted an idealism of dismay and a profound psychological dimension. Movement of the figures embodied a living story, brought to live with the stroke of a brush.

Raphael, under commission from the church, painted frescoes in the Vatican, his most famous being the "School of Athens". His art was a classical depiction of social meetings in Greece and Rome.

Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It was said that the two were constantly arguing over Michelangelo's need to keep each section covered. Pope Julius was very impatient, however when his eyes were finally able to view the splendor of the masterpiece, he had tears in his eyes. Michelangelo depicted the Creation of Adam, as well as the scenes from the book of Genesis. He believed the more perfect the body, the more God-like the figure.

Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence

A copy of the statue standing in the original location of David, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

This would explain his depiction of David, which is far more heroic and masculine looking than Donatellos. The statue had originally been placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of the Florentine government, thereby representing resolve and human power.

The Renaissance is deemed as being the age of enlightenment. There was a new vision of humanism and experimentation with new forms of artistic expression. It's one of those most admired times in history, at least, that's what I believe. How about you?

More Articles By the Author on Factoidz:

• Numbers Theory
• Cachtice Castle, Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and the Murders of Vienna
• The Versailles of Spain
• Rene Descartes: I Think, Therefore I Am
• Leonardo Da Vinci: The Artist That Solved The Riddle of Earthshine
• The Scientific Revolution Changed the Way Europe Viewed the Universe Medicine and Thinking
• The Causes of the Great Schism
• The Renaissance Papacy at the End of the Great Schism

Monday Ground Up: The Medieval Gothic Malbork Castle

The Teutonic Order constructed this medieval fortress in Prussia around the time of the crusades in Ordensburg, naming it Marienburg, or rather "Mary's Castle”. The name was derived from the patron saint the Virgin Mary. Malbork is one of the world’s largest red brick Gothic castles in the world, with a small middle castle nested within the outer walls.

The castle consisted of three separate sections including the High, Middle, and Lower castles, separated by dry moats and towers. It was said at one time the castle held close to 3000 knights and the High Castle enclosure measured 52 acres, which is four times the enclosed space of Windsor Castle.

The flatness of the grounds allowed for easier trading with ships and barges, thus creating a toll stop for passing vessels. The Order imposed a monopoly of amber trade, therefore building their reputation as commercial capitalists along the waterfront.

Around 1410, the castle was besieged when the armies were defeated at the Battle of Grunwald, however Heinrich von Plauen successfully led the defense, resulting in the reconstruction of the city.

During the Thirteen Years' War, the Order could no longer pay its mercenaries, therefore resulting in their transition to Königsberg, giving the castle to the Bohemian mercenaries as payment. King Casimir IV Jagiellon acquired the castle in 1457.

Under mayor Bartholomäus Blume, the city itself resisted the Polish onslaught for three more years, until the Poles captured and hanged Blume in 1460. A monument to him was erected in 1864. Castle and town became part of Royal Prussia in 1466, and served as one of the several Polish royal residences. During the Thirty Years' War, in 1626 and 1629, Swedes occupied the castle, and again from 1656 to 1660 in The Deluge (Polish history) during the Northern Wars.

Around the late 18 century, the Prussian Amry used the castke as a barracks. It wasn't until 1874 that a Prussian architect, David Gilly, surveyed the castle to determine if it should be demolished or what it's use should be left standing. His son created engravings of the castle that were exhibited in Berlin leading to a "rediscovery" of Malborks history.

In the early 1930s the Nazis used Malbork as a meeting site for Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls. It was the Teutonic Castle at Marienburg, Malbork that served as the blue print for the Order Castles of the Third Reich.
The castle has been considerably pillaged,burned, and destroyed, especially due to the aftermath of World War II. It has been rebuilt and restored over the years, so much of what we see today of the outlying structure is new construction.







by MrSco



by lostajy





Resources

• Malbork Castle Museum
• The Malbork Castle Virtual Tour

Sources

Pictures

Medieval Identifications: Alcuin of York

Alcuin of York was an intellectual, ecclesiastic, poet and lecturer from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student of Ecgbert at York.

At the invitation of Charlemagne, he became a leading scholar and teacher at the Carolingian court, where he remained a figure at court in the 780s and 790s. He wrote many theological and dogmatic treatises, as well as a few grammatical works and a number of poems.

He was made abbot of Saint Martin's at Tours in 796, where he remained until his death. He is considered among the most important architects of the Carolingian Renaissance. Among his pupils were many of the dominant intellectuals of the Carolingian era.

Alcuin died on May 19, 804, some ten years before the emperor. He was buried at St. Martin’s Church under an epitaph that partly read:

“

Dust, worms, and ashes now... Alcuin my name, wisdom I always loved, Pray, reader, for my soul.

Agriculture During the High Middle Ages

During the High Middle Ages, the culture saw a significant increase in arable land which was directly influencing the population, which was on the rise. People were settling down and agricultural production was sustaining more and more families. Much of the changes were due to the availability of arable land, technological advancements, and the transitions from a two field system to a three.

Large forested areas were being cleared for cultivation and the materials from the forests were being used to build houses, bridges, fortresses, ships, and for fuel. Nearby swamps were drained to provide even more land for growing crops and foodstuffs. Economically, farming in Europe at this time was beneficial both for the workers and laborers and the land owners.

Technological advancements like mining for iron and trading it to areas that did not have it readily available were encouraging trade relations and geographical transition. Inventions like the carruca and the aratum made it possible to plow the land more efficiently, therefore allowing for faster growing and harvesting. In the past, the easterners used the aratum, which only turned the top soil. Now, they had the option to do both levels of soil at once.

New horse collars were developed that allowed the horses to pull the heavy plow faster and cultivate more land, all while wearing iron shoes that produced greater traction and protection from rocky soil.

The transition from a two field to a three allowed for seasonal crops to be grown at all times. One field was planted in the fall with grains such as rye and wheat; spring saw the planting of barley, oats, and legumes and the third was usually empty to allow for over exhaustion of the soul. The positive aspect of this system was that the serfs became free peasants, meaning they were no longer tied to the land.

Due to the increase in production during the High Middle Ages, birth rates were soaring and economics were allowing for better living conditions and relationships in the trade centers. It was a time of peace and prosperity for both the land owners and the free peasants.

The Monday Ground Up: The Catholic Church During Charlemagne

The Catholic Church at the time of Charlemagne had significant impact on the lives of the Frankish people. There was fusion of cultural ideals which directly influenced family life, sexuality, and the views of children.

Marriages were arranged by the fathers and uncles, and wives were expected to remain faithful to their husbands, even if they kept concubines and remained unfaithful to them. The Catholic Church insisted on blessing the marriage, although at that time, marriage was civil arrangement.

The emphasize on monogamy by the church led to a law, or rather a right to prohibit divorce, even if the woman was sterile or unattractive. This right was not accepted gracefully. This institution, considered to still be a frigid moral establishment, led to the nuclear family, whereby the power of the household went to the eldest woman, although her place as a wife was still dominated by her husband.

Celibacy was stressed as part of the sanctity of marriage, although during the Middle Ages, this proved to be impossible. Thus, the church felt that marriage was the lesser of two evils. Couples could engage in sexual intercourse if married, only if it was fir the purpose of procreation and not pleasure. In this arrangement, contraceptives were forbidden and abortions were frowned upon, even though herbal remedies were often used to prevent contraception.

The condemnation of sexual activity outside marriage also included homosexuality, even though Roman Law had never recognized any difference between heterosexuality and homosexuality. How odd that the evolution and acceptance of homosexuality under Roman Law was never seen as a problem, although today, our law that was derived from the Romans mysteriously excludes homosexual relations.

The Catholic Church listed wergelds, whose size represented a persons worth. In the past, the limiting of children through infanticide was used often by Roman families, however now the adoption of personal worth was used to determine where a child would end up. Males were valued at solidi until they became warriors, then their worth increased to 300.

Females were around 30, then it increased to 250 when they were able to bear children. Unwanted children were abandoned or donated to the Catholic Church and were raised as nuns and monks.

The strict code of law by the church in the Middle Ages led to the development of institutions of marriage and the condemnation of infanticide. Of course, these laws were impossible to enforce, especially when it came to celibacy during the Middle Ages. The way of life was challenged on a daily basis, be it in secret, Germanic peoples still managed to work around the strict control of the Catholic Church and they still do today, trying to avoid their strict ideals and moral codes.

Throne of Charlemagne and the subsequent German Kings in Aachen Cathedral

Champagne Fairs: What were they?

The Champagne Fairs evolved out of the annual cycle of trading fairs held in Champagne and Brie in France during the Middle Ages. The fairs became an important engine in the reviving economic history of Medieval Europe.

Initially, they became the nerve centers for textile, leather, fur, and spice trading. At the height of the trading industry, the fairs linked the cloth producing Low Countries with Italian dying and exporting centers, like Genoa and Venice.

The fairs were well organized and represented the beginnings of commercial capitalism in the High Middle Ages, bringing about banking and investor relations.

At the end of the 12th century, the fairs, which were conveniently located on major trade routes, dominated commercial and banking relations operating at the frontier region between the north and the Mediterranean.