Discussion Questions for the Black Death

This link is to a summary review of the Aberth text I wrote a few years ago when I was freelancing for the publisher. At the bottom are some questions I'd like to base our discussion on for next Tuesday.

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/oconnor/oconnor/content/black_death.htm

Fall 2010 FINAL EXAM

Directions: Answer Part A and ONE question from part B in essay form. An adequate response will be 4-5 pages. Your grade will be based on how well you support your argument using evidence from the assigned readings.

PART A: Historians typically describe medieval society as a hybrid of Roman, Germanic, and Christian culture. Discuss the history behind how each of these cultures was integrated into medieval society, and how the influence of each was evident in medieval society. (Incidentally, I will be asking this question on the Senior Comps for History majors).

PART B:

1) The story of Tristan and Isolde is a product of the cultural changes of the twelfth century. Discuss using examples from the text.

2) Ladurie's study of Montaillou sheds light on the daily lives of people who are otherwise absent from the historical record. Discuss the lives and worldviews of these people and their relationships with the outside world.

Fall 2010 Midterm

Directions: Answer TWO of the following in essay form. An adequate answer should average at least pages using standard formatting (see paper guidelines attached to syllabus).

1) For the fifth through the eighth centuries Western Europe continued to uphold the illusion that the Roman Empire was still intact. Discuss how vestiges of the Roman world endured in the early Middle Ages. How and why did the eastern and western halves of the former Roman Empire drift apart over this time. What role did the papacy and the Franks play in this process.

2) Discuss how feudalism functioned in medieval society. What role did personal relationships play? How were the problems of non-literacy dealt with? What role did religious ideology play?

3) Discuss the religious reforms of the tenth and eleventh centuries. How did they contribute to the growth of the church and the empowerment of the papacy? What problems did this cause with secular authorities? How did the reform movement contribute to militant Christianity?

A New Medieval Castle in Burgundy

This BBC story is about a French landowner who is building a castle using local resources and medieval tools and techniques. While it began as an eccentric hobby, it has also become a sort of lab for archaeologists and historians to learn more about the logistics of medieval architecture.

The official site for the castle is worth a visit.

Ancient Royal Bones Identified

This article from BBC News is about the a Saxon royal burial from the tenth century. Her name was Eadgyth and she was a granddaughter of Alfred the Great of England and wife of Otto I of Germany. Interestingly, they identified her by isotopes in her teeth.