Date

Assigned Readings should be completed BEFORE class begins so that you can participate in discussion.

W

Aug 21

Introduction, Overview, Ten Questions

M

Aug 26

Discuss Marcus Bull, “What are the ‘Middle Ages’?”, from Thinking Medieval. Skim C&H ch. 1, “The Bible.”

W

Aug 28

Discuss C&H, chs. 2 & 3: “The Classical Heritage” and “Early Christianity.”

M

Sept 2

Discuss C&H, ch. 4, “Augustine.” Here is today's slideshow.

W

Sept 4

Discuss C&H, ch. 7, “The West after the Collapse of Roman Authority.” Short paper 1 assigned.

M

Sept 9

Leahy, The Staffordshire Hoard. Watch & discuss “Saxon Hoard: A Golden Discovery,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ofCNSfF3vM.

W

Sept 11

Leahy, The Staffordshire Hoard.

M

Sept 16

Paper 1 (Leahy) due. Discuss C&H ch. 8, “Western Monasticism.” We'll talk about the Benedictine Rule and the beginnings of scholasticism, the monastic hours, and the influences of monastic asceticism on medieval cultural practices.

W

Sept 18

Discuss C&H ch. 9, “The First Medieval Synthesis.” Watch Kenneth Clark, Civilisation (1969), episode 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNGzoJFj9g8.

M

Sept 23

Discuss C&H ch. 10, “Church, State, and Society.” We can talk about the Crusades & Romanesque art if you like. Here's Urban II and local news coverage of the call of the First Crusade.

W

Sept 25

Watch and discuss David Macauley, Castle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGbPShUpjpg).

M

Sept 30

Essay Questions due for midterm. Discuss C&H chs. 5 & 6, “Islam” and “Byzantium.”

W

Oct 2

Discuss C&H, chs. 11 & 12 (“The Renaissance of the 12^th Century” and “Francis of Assisi and the Mendicants”). Take-home midterm given out; due Friday October 4 by NOON. Here's a little background about Pope Sylvester, "the Scientist Pope." And here are some illustrations of the Gothic cathedral.

M

Oct 7

Discuss Labarge, ch. 8. If you want to look at a medieval surgeon's manual, here's your link. Here is the paper 2 assignment.

W

Oct 9

Field Trip: Winthrop University Archives, Cherry Road (across from Earth Fare). Be prompt! Familiarize yourself in advance with the list of manuscripts we'll look at--compare Cook & Herzberg to see what you can learn about these before we go over. Here is the assignment to do in advance of visiting the archives.

M

Oct 14

Fall Break. No classes. Over Break, if you can, watch David Macaulay, “Cathedral.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZpOd2pHiI0; it takes less than an hour but provides a TON of context for the work we'll be doing after Break.

W

Oct 16

Watch and discuss “Christina: A Medieval Life,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5ZeeiPSGAw. Skim Labarge, chs. 1 & 2.

F

Oct 18

Course Withdrawal Deadline (Automatic N).

M

Oct 21

Discuss Labarge, chs. 3 -6. Paper 2 (Aberth) due.

W

Oct 23

Discuss Labarge, ch 7, and Bennett, chs. 1-3. Here's the Brigstock slideshow.

M

Oct 28

Discuss Bennett, chs. 4-6. Essay questions due for midterm. We'll go over the research paper schedule today.

W

Oct 30

Discuss Bennett, chs. 7-10. Take-home midterm given out; due Friday Nov. 1. Final presentation groups will be chosen today.

M

Nov 4

Brown, The World of the Luttrell Psalter, pp. 1-57. If we have time we’ll watch “The Luttrell Psalter Film,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0AnUM1tt54; if not, watch it in your spare time (it’s only 20 minutes). Think about how this book illustrates the inter-relationships of people and ideas we've been reading about all semester. Paper 3 assigned.

W

Nov 6

Brown, The World of the Luttrell Psalter, to end. Think about what you can deduce about this community from studying this Psalter. Here are the Quire Instructions for the Group Project.

M

Nov 11

Codicology. Click through the Fitzwilliam Museum's "Making a Medieval Manuscript" animated slide show. (If you have a little more time, there's an equally wonderful version from the Getty Museum with videos.) Read the British Library, "Iron Gall Ink and Wasps," "Knight v. Snail," and Eric Johnson, "Reading through the Priest's Eye." Please bring "Basic Terms for Medieval Codicology" to class with you.

W

Nov 13

Codicology class workshop. You must e-mail Dr K your research paper proposal w/ sources by classtime today.

M

Nov 18

Paper 3 (Brown) due. Catchup , presentation preparation, and quire preparation time.

W

Nov 20

Group Presentations: Castles and Witchcraft. Here's the "Castles" Presentation with pictures and here's the "Witchcraft" PowerPoint.

M

Nov 25

Group Presentations: Food and Armor. Here's the "Food" PowerPoint and handout and here's the "Armor" PowerPoint (I combined the two separate presentations into one link).

W

Nov 27

No class. Thanksgiving Break. Quires due before you leave for break.

M

Dec 2

Research paper due. Essay questions due. Evaluations, Exam prep; bring milk. Cosplay day if you want.

M

Dec 9

MDST 300 Final Exam, 3 PM. Review sheet and exam instructions.