There's no such thing as the Dark Ages

There's no such thing as the Dark Ages

Share
There's no such thing as the Dark Ages
  • The Black Death 1: Bring Out Your Dead

    Dan Snow uncovers the shocking story of the Black Death.

  • Pinches of Salt and Gold: Uncovering Mansa Musa's Story

    Documentary telling the story of Mansa Musa, the famous 14th century ruler of Mali, renowned for his great wealth. Featuring Professor Amira Bennison, Boubacar Diallo, Hadrien Collet, Mauro Nobili and Madina Thiam.

  • Castles that Made Britain

    1 season

    Castles have loomed over the landscape of Britain for centuries. They hold the keys to unlocking some of the greatest stories of our past.

    Join History Hit's medieval expert, Matt Lewis, in this new series as he explores some of Britain’s most iconic castles. It is a spectacular journey to some...

  • Meet the Normans

    1 season

    They were the Northmen who changed history. Starting as heathen Viking warriors who plundered and settled in Northern France and forged the new Duchy of Normandy, becoming the most ferocious conquerors that medieval Europe had ever seen, and giving England its most famous date: 1066.

    In this tw...

  • The Galloway Hoard

    A real treat for History Hit, this is an exceptional private view of a unique discovery, a glittering hoard of beautifully crafted objects in silver, gold and crystal, buried in the ground and forgotten 1100 years ago.

    The Galloway Hoard opens an extraordinary window into the Viking Age, a time...

  • The Dead of Winter: Medieval Ghost Stories

    This winter, Dr Eleanor Janega leads us into the darker corners of the medieval imagination - a world where the boundary between the living and the dead was dangerously thin.

    Drawing on medieval chronicles, religious monuments, and Icelandic sagas, we learn why people believed the dead could ret...

  • Peasants' Revolt

    1 season

    The 14th Century is often called the worst century in the whole of British history - plague, war and famine! And amidst all this chaos, the first recorded act of public rebellion in English history sent revolutionary ripples across the entire medieval world. This uprising is remembered as the “Pe...

  • Dragons: Myth & Reality

    Dragons... from myths to fantasy novels, we’ve been obsessed with them for thousands of years, but what is a dragon and where do their stories originate? From 21st Century London to Ancient Mesopotamia, join Classicist Jasmine Elmer on a quest to investigate the Indo-European Dragon.

    Jasmine beg...

  • King Arthur's Round Table Revealed

    The mystery and legend of King Arthur has fascinated mankind for centuries. Was there really a fifth-century warrior king at war with the Angles and Saxons? Did he have a round table of knights? Where was Camelot? Now, twenty-first century forensic archaeology allows us to suggest new answers to ...

  • The Real Richard III: Part One

    Who is Richard III? This notorious King of England reigned for only two years, but left quite a mark! Is he an unsung hero of the medieval world or a cruel manipulative child murderer?

    Join Matt Lewis to forensically dissect the evidence for and against this so-called villain. From childhood to...

  • Edward II: Worst King of England?

    Dr Helen Carr explores the extraordinary and chaotic reign of Edward II, a king with a reputation as a disastrous ruler. But how much of that is true?

    Edward's accession as king of England in 1307 led almost immediately to conflict as he favoured close friends, and maybe lovers, like Piers Gaves...

  • 24 Hours in Medieval Armour

    Luke Tomes undertakes a series of challenges around England's capital wearing 14th century full-plate armour.

    In this video, you'll find out what life was like for medieval knights in battle and on crusade, how they trained for combat, how much their armour cost them and most importantly, how th...

  • The Greatest Knight

    Documentary about the adventures, life and times of William Marshal - an eminent English knight who fought in battles across Europe and survived court intrigue and exile.

  • The Medieval Dancing Plague with Eleanor Janega

    When people think of Medieval diseases, hysterical dancing is not usually what first comes to mind. Yet in 14th and 15th century Germany, dozens of ordinary people claimed to be infected by the ‘dancing plague’. What was this mysterious phenomenon? What caused it? And was it even a real disease?
    ...

  • Medieval Winter

    Matt Lewis and Eleanor Janega make a hands-on journey into the depths of medieval winter - was it a time of feast or famine; a season of cold, dark and hunger or the time of year when medieval folk could kick back and enjoy seasonal celebrations? From food to cosy fashions and fireside tales, His...

  • Finding the Lost Battlefield of Brunanburh

    The Battle of Brunanburh was one of the bloodiest and biggest battles of early medieval history. Fought 1100 years ago, Athelstan - the king of the English - opposed a coalition of Irish, Scots, Northumbrians and Vikings and won a decisive victory. The enemy shield wall was penetrated. Their troo...

  • Rebels: Owain Glyndŵr

    In the second part of his new series, conflict analyst Professor Michael Livingston is continuing his journey across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom on the trail of some of Britain’s best known rebels.

    In this episode Michael is heading to Wales to discover the astonishing story of ...

  • Saving Timbuktu's Manuscripts

    For centuries the city of Timbuktu was famed as a golden metropolis situated on the southern fringes of the Sahara; tales of its immense wealth and its reputation as a key centre of learning obsessed travellers and adventurers for many hundreds of years. Timbuktu certainly has one of the most ill...

  • Treasures of the Royal Mint: The Portrayal Of A Monarch

    With a history stretching over 1,100 years, The Royal Mint has forged a fascinating story through the world of historic coins. As the second oldest mint in the world, and the oldest company in the UK, their history is entwined with the 61 monarchs who have ruled England and Britain.

    The Royal Mi...

  • Science in the Middle Ages

    Seb Falk, a historian of medieval science at Cambridge University and the author of The Light Ages, tackles the big questions about science in the Middle Ages.

  • The English Parish Church: An Introduction

    In this introduction to the English Parish Church, Alice Loxton travels across the country to uncover some gems of England’s heritage. From the whitewashing of the Reformation to Wesley’s hymns to William Morris’ efforts to preserve the past, there is lots to discover. And Alice is joined around ...

  • Treasures of the Royal Mint

    2 seasons

    With a history stretching over 1,100 years, The Royal Mint has forged a fascinating story through the world of historic coins. As the second oldest mint in the world, and the oldest company in the UK, their history is entwined with the 61 monarchs who have ruled England and Britain.

    The Royal Mi...

  • Working (more than) 9 to 5 - The Labouring Lives of Medieval Women

    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 ...

  • Chivalry and Betrayal: The Hundred Years War

    1 season

    Dr Janina Ramirez follows the momentous and nation-shaping war between England and France.