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Medieval Literature
Medieval literature is defined broadly as any work written in Latin or the vernacular between c. 476-1500, including philosophy, religious treatises, legal texts, as well as works of the imagination. More narrowly, however, the term applies...

Definition
Medieval Chivalry
In medieval Europe, a code of ethics known as chivalry developed which included rules and expectations that the nobility would, at all times, behave in a certain manner. Chivalry was, in addition, a religious, moral and social code which...

Definition
Medieval Tournament
The medieval tournament was a forum for European knights where they could practise and show off their military skills in activities such as jousting or the mêlée, indulge in a bit of pageantry, display their chivalrous qualities and win both...

Definition
Medieval Heraldry
Heraldry, which is the use of inherited coats of arms and other symbols to show personal identity and family lineage, began on the mid-12th century CE battlefield as an easy means to identify medieval royalty and princes who were otherwise...

Definition
Medieval Japan
The medieval period of Japan is considered by most historians to stretch from 1185 to 1603 CE. Stand out features of the period include the replacement of the aristocracy by the samurai class as the most powerful social group, the establishment...

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Armenia's Medieval Selim Caravanserai
This medieval caravanserai located in present-day Armenia is located on the ancient Dvin Partav international trade route, which included the Selim Mountain Pass. (It was part of the ancient Silk Road.) According to an inscription at the...

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Medieval Khachkar at Geghard Monastery in Armenia
Geghard Monastery in Armenia contains a number of churches, altars, and tombs, most of which are cut into rock. The monastery is widely considered the very peak of Armenian medieval architecture. It was founded at some point in the 4th century...

Definition
Medieval Trades
Medieval trades were essential to the daily welfare of the community and those who learned a skill through apprenticeship could make a higher and more regular income than farmers or soldiers. Professionals like millers, blacksmiths, masons...

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Medieval Jewish Tombstone in Yeghegis, Armenia
Nearly 40 tombstones from the 13th and 14th century CE survive in the Jewish cemetery, and another 30 are located nearby. The oldest tombstone dates to 1266 CE and the latest to 1337 CE. Some tombs have inscriptions in Hebrew or Aramaic...

Definition
Medieval Jousting
Jousts were, from the 13th to 16th century CE, a popular part of the European medieval tournament where knights showed off their martial skills by riding against one another with wooden lances in a designated area known as the lists. The...