Lecture – Medieval Arms Race Throughout the Middle Ages competition between offensive and defensive arms resulted in a constant stream of innovation and evolution that resulted in the magnificent suits of armor and gracefully proportioned weapons on display in the current collection. Historian David Wise will explore the science behind the arms race […]
Lecture – Jousting – The Sport of Kings Jousting tournaments were held as grand sporting and social events in medieval times. These events sealed the mystique of the knight into modern times. In full knight armor, historian and historical jousting competitor Steve Hemphill will the take us through the various events of a grand […]
Lecture – Hearth, Heart, Home: Skara Brae’s Early Stone Age Dwellings by Martin Carruthers What was it about an ancient windswept place in the remote Orkney Islands that caused people to invest so much effort in creating one of the earliest examples of permanent homes? Skara Brae, a Stone Age village and UNESCO World […]
If you’re just joining us on our slightly nauseating journey through the wonders of Medieval medicine, you may want to check out the first blog in this series. If you’re already on board, I promised you poop and it is poop you are going to get! I feel there is a Freudian joke there, […]
Organized warfare has been part of human history for thousands of years. Over time advances in offensive weapons gave rise to advances in defensive measures. Times of crisis often led to a speeding up of such changes. One of those times were the Crusades. At the time I am writing this, the Houston Museum of […]
BTS – Knights Enjoy the Knights special exhibition in the evening when the museum is closed to the public. Your master docent will take you back to the very origins of knighthood, in the days after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Chivalry, feudalism and knighting will be introduced alongside a wide array […]
Heraldry is a unique identification system developed in the Middle Ages to aid in the identification of fully armored knights on the battle or tournament field. The roots of heraldry lay in the insignia, seals, and symbols used in ancient times for individual and/or national identification purposes. Heraldic designs were applied to shields, tunics, horse […]
