Staffordshire hoard

(Working on article)

In the year 2009 on the field in Lichfield, Staffordshire, in England by using metal detector it is foound huge hoard from the time of Anglo-Saxon England, from period of years 600-650.

Hoard is constituted of different warrior golden and zircon objects, and also church objects. It is considered that this hoard is plunder od MErcian kingdom after battle and wictory of some Christian Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, probably East Anglia.

Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in Early Middle Ages. From north to south: Northambria (they especially suffered from Vikings beggining from 793., they are famous for archbishopric of Lindisfarn and saint Cuthbert), Mercia (it was long pagan kingdom, most famous for king Penda), East Anglia, Essex, Kent (from this place it beggan myssionary work from the end of 6th century from monk Augustine and his brothers), Sussex, Wessex (famous for it resistance to Viking raids and wictory over Vikings at the end of 9th century, most famous for king Alfred).

Other kingdoms are Celts, in the west ate Welsh (Celts), in the north are Scots, Picts kingdoms.

Objects are of gold, with very tinny incorporated red jewells called circon.

Article from Guardain on new research on hourd: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/nov/01/staffordshire-hoard-archaeologists-academic-research-gold-ornaments

You can see objectsd here: https://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/explore-the-hoard  

Agincourt carol

After great battle between England and France on October 3.1415. Englishmens did invented (early 15th century) song in honour of wictory in the battle.

It is so called Aguincourt carol.

Agincourt carol in manuscript from 15th century

Some interesting images from manuscripts

De proprietatibus rerum, Bartolomeo Anglicus, 15.century

 Unknown nederlandish artist, 15. century, manuscript of work of Cicerone 

Flamish artist, Roman de la rose, year 1498.

 The life of the very noble Count Gerard de Rousillon, year 1488.

 Manuscript from 15. century

 Grand Armorial équestre de la Toison d

John of Ardern

John of Ardern in manuscript MS Hunter 112

John of Ardern (1307-1392) was English medieval doctor and surgeon. He is considered as one of originators of modern surgery. His different treatments are used evan today. 

John made treatment of rich and poor and he advised that rich be charged as much as possible and tratment of poor to be for free. For operations he advised that pation be put to sleep by using opium, so that patient "sleep so that can not feel any cutting". He devised doctor codex of behaving.

He studied medicine on medical faculty of University of Montpellier in France. It was the most famous medical faculty in Middle Ages in Europe. Before that the most famous was the medical faculty of Salerno, in Italy, but it brokedown in some 14th century and medical faculty of Montpellier became his succesor. 

John lived in Newark on Trent, Nottingham, and after that in London. He did service in Hundred Years War against France.

He wrote book Fistula in ano (as the other books). In this book he wrote about healing of fistula u rectum that form in knights after long sitting on horseback.

There is one interesting manuscript De arte Phisicali et de Cirurgica (Art of doctors and surgeons) from 1412. which  contains his treatments and systems of curing. In this manuscript, which is one scroll, there are few images of human anatomy which are very realistic.

Anatomy in manuscript. Who are not queasy can look by clicking on it. On purpose it is showed as display from left and right sides.

Some represantion from Byzantium

Great consul, year 518.

Emperor Constatine, mosaic from Temple of saint Sophia, 6th century

12th or 13th century (probably Thessaloniki)

Holy martyrs

Maximilian aromour

Maximilian armour is type of full plate armour (it means for the whole body) which appeared in 16th century in Germany. It is named of emperor of so called Holy Roman Empire (in essence German Empire) Maximilian I of Habsburg (1459-1518, emperor 1508-1519). It is characteristic by its folds on armour, raised shoulders and its weight (it is heavier then medieval gothic armour from 15th century).

Development of armour in 16th century, or so called Early Modern Age is practically countinuation of of development of European armour from Middle Ages (we can say that it is also form of continuation of in some sense medieval armory). This type of armour could not be appeared that  before armour of 16th century did not existed medieval types of armours, gothic and millanese (helm in this armour is especially result of development of itallian style armour from Middle Ages). Photos you can see here are representation of armour type that is called Maximillian armour.

Full plate armour (invented in second half of 14th century), it means full body plate armour and is made from shaped plates designed for particular parts of body appeare in whole history of the world only in western Europe. This types of armour can not be found in anywhere in the world, only western Europe in history, that it is made.

The most outspread system of armous in history are mostly lamellar armour, which are made by small joined plates. They appear in Byzantium, Mongoly, China, Japane and in other places.

Osmanlian Turks did used combination of mail (chained armour) and small plates, so that their armour did enabled them very good mobility (altough Europeans was not immobile in armour), also they did not used full helm.

Those stories from 19th century that they must be using windlass to mount on horse are not accurate. Knight, generally armoured European warrior was considerably mobile in armour, but this type of armour did hardened movement (but not in a way that they used windlass to mount on horsback).

Zytglogge

Zytglogge (zyteglogge) is medieval tower in Bern, Switzerland. It is build in 13th century. Especially is interesting automatons near the clock. Astronomical clock originate from 15th century, and automatons from 1530. Automatons near clock are completely made in medieval style (colours, clothes, characters, everything is medieval). 

We can see medieval jester, rooster, king, bears (Bern (name of city) means bear).

You can see here work of automatons.  

Enlarged here down at 0:28

Astronomical clock in Prague, from 15th century

This astronomical clock in Prague (from 1410., today Czech Republic) also have automatons who are appeare every one hour.

It pottrays 12 apostoles, death, Jew or cupidity and other. This is not first astronomical clock as mentioned in video. 

As for colours, this and like many others are darkened by smog.

I think that Russians most of all nations (more then in western Europe) are taking care of their temples.

Some automatons

Those are some videos of automatons from 17th and 18th century, made by Met museum in New York.

Automaton in the shape of obelisk with clock, Flamish from 1777.

 

German automaton from 1610.

Writer and drawer, Swiss automaton

Dance, german automaton from 1625.

German clock with automaton, year 1554. 

Eastern automaton, around 1600. 

Systems of metalic discs, on wich function of automatons is based was inspiration for gramophon disks, and after that cd-s.

Some examples of automatons

Friar automaton from 1560.. He is made in southern Germany or Spain.

Turk automaton from the end of 18th century. This is considered as the most perfect automaton.

Automaton

Automatons was early robots.

Those are examples of automatons made in 18th century and late 17th century.

First example is boy writer made by clockmaker Jaquet Droz in 18th century. This example is made so that every letter can be changed in mechanism so that boy can write different words, it menas any word can be written. This is like early type of programing.

Other example is from late 17th century. This is boy writer, but his writing is simplified and it letters can not be changed in mechanism. He can also draw.  

Whole system of those robots are based on development of technology of mechanical clocks. Mechanical clocks are invented in Europe in Middle Ages, it is hard to determine exact date. 

Some types of mechanical clocks appear also in China. 

In Middle Agesm in Europe appear from High Middle Ages clocks on towers. Also there also appears automatons in clocks. It was type of robots in clocks who made some moves when time is counted down. 

Some sophisticated automatons is mentioned at the Boukoleon palace in Constantinople in Middle Ages.

Invention of screwdriver in Late Middle Ages

Screwdriver is invention that go back to Late Middle Ages. Invention first came from Germany or France.

First mention is from german book Hausbuch von Schloss Wolfegg (Hausbook of castle Wolfegg) from 1480.. Book is about usefull arts for nobleman at that time.

Page from book

In Germany screwdriver was called schraubendreher and in France is called tournevis.

First screwdriver was only of one type and it is used for securing breastplate and frogmouth helmets (tournament helmet) and first shotguns (so called matchlock).

About all that write Witold Rybczynski in his book One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriwer and the Screw.

Invention of eyeglasses

Eyeglasses are first mentioned in work of Florentine Dominician friar Giordano da Pisa (1255–1311) in 1306.. He wrote that eyeglasses are invented 20 years before his writing and that he personaly meth inventor even he did not mention his name. 

Inventor is certainly from nothern Itlay, probably from Pisa.

First picture of eyeglasses is from 1352. on portrait of cardinal Hugg de Saint-Cher made by Thommaso de Modena. We can see here that cardinal is wearing the glasses.

First picture of glasses in the world

First eyeglasses was only for reading and not for farsight.

Baby walker

Baby walker is not modern invention. First baby walkers was from 15th century as we can see in manuscripts.

This is from manuscript Le livre d'heures de Catherine de Clèves from 15th century. Here baby Jesus Christ is walking in baby walker.

This is from manuscript Humans ages, 15th century.

It can be seen in more 15th century manuscripts.

Interesting armour of Julius Brunswick, 16th century

This is armour of Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1528 –1589).

Julius was Protestant. 

He established University of Helmstedt.

Extraordinary decorated 16th century armour

As you can see this is extraordinary decorated armour with gold and engravings. Armour engraving and every type of decoration of armours face begane in 16th centrury (before that there was coloring of armour, using silver and gold plate stripes, engraving of stripes). Before 16th century there was certain systems of engravings of gold and silver plate stripes on armour, but there was not engraving of armours face or it was really rare. Yet in 16th century we can see every kind of armour decorations, mostly in style of rennaissance art forms. This type of armour and every kind like this decorated armour was not used in fights (certainly armours in fights was  decorated in some degree). 

Youngest mother

Article about youngest mother in the world:
http://curioushistorian.com/the-story-of-lina-medina-the-worlds-youngest-mother