Program in Medieval Studies
3 matches found
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For centuries, syphilis was understood as a “New World” export to Afro-Eurasia. Recent studies have demonstrated its presence in the “Old World,” and Dr. Salmon has helped to prove its existence in medieval Europe. In this presentation, she offers compelling evidence to demonstrate the presence of syphilis in Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. WARNING: disturbing images.
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The Central Asian kingdom of Turfan clothed the bodies of the dead with used papers which reveal that an extraordinary number of travelers from all over Eurasia converged there. To provide for their needs, Turfan fashioned itself into an “envoy state” which enabled the cultural and political integration of the early medieval world.
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In 14th-century Provence, the volume of contracts produced by public notaries increased rapidly from thousands each year to millions. Reliance on writing impacted even the most remote rural communities and marginalized actors, including women, peasants, and religious minorities. Why did written records become so wildly popular so quickly? What were the consequences?