Dr Eleanor Janega investigates one of the least recorded aspects of medieval life - working women. But dig deep and you can find the evidence - proving the medieval period is a fascinating window into the true history of women…and work!
Eleanor takes on the jobs and businesses of real medieval women, from Domina Agnes Ramsey, a highly skilled stonemason with a flourishing business making royal tombs, to Katherine of Bury, a blacksmith plying her trade inside the Tower of London during the Hundred Years' War.
And Eleanor gets hands on in the medieval kitchen with experiential archaeologist Caroline Nicolay to explore the jobs of country women, from dairymaids to cheese-sellers to bakers, uncovering some crooked practices along the way...
It all ties in with Eleanor's fascinating new book: 'The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women’s Roles in Society'
Up Next in Eleanor's Documentaries
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The 7 Deadly Sins with Eleanor Janega
January, time to purge ourselves of the excesses of the holidays! Medievalist Eleanor Janega takes a deep historical dive into the 7 Deadly Sins. When did they begin, what's the worst sin, and should we be so anxious about our vices? And who decided what was evil anyway? Joined by Dr Rachel Sto...
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Exploring the Medieval Afterlife with...
Ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night! Dr Eleanor Janega delves into the medieval phantasmic to find out what their restless dead can tell us about the worries of the living. Because if we want to understand what makes another society tick, it helps to take a look at what makes them...
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Life and Death in Medieval London
Medieval historian Dr Eleanor Janega takes us on a whistle-stop tour across London, visiting some key historical sites and shining a light on the various communities of medieval London.
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