Dr. Marie T Champagne

A study of primary documents, secondary sources, and the archaeological record reveal that lead poisoning was likely a common illness in the Roman Era and Middle Ages that contributed widely to poor health among the European population and may have even caused social instability. The sources of lead contact were numerous and included food and drink, objects of everyday use, occupational exposure, environmental pollution, medicines, and cosmetics.

In this project, the goal was to determine the differences found between the six manuscripts translated and the Montecassino manuscript believed to be the first one. The Montecassino manuscript was written by Nicholas Maniacutis, a medieval Roman scholar. The text was copied widely through Europe believing to begin around 1145 until 1400. Although the scribes all used the same document to translate, this project takes a look at the differences that each translation had from the original document.

The churches of Saint Denis and Westminster are two of the most prominent interment sites for European royalty. Each of the churches has become a highly visited site for tourists to visit the tombs of past royals and other famous historical figures. The church of Saint Denis has been the final resting place for the kings of
France for centuries and contains the remains of every King of France except three in addition to other royal family members. Westminster Abbey is one of the most celebrated historic sites in the United Kingdom, the final resting place of the remains of past and historic rulers in addition to poets and other famous British writers.
French and English royalty used large collective burial crypts in medieval churches; however, those burial sites were preceded by other steps in the process of internment, as shown in the historical and bioarcheological evidence.

Sailing and the maritime wood have evolved exponentially since the inception of the ship. In the Middle Ages, ships sailed the ocean, discovered new lands far away, traded and sped up
commerce, and even helped fight wars. Today, technology allows people to do all these things on a much grander scale without using a single sail. Despite the evolution or sailing and maritime capabilities, one necessity has never changed, and it is one of the most critical parts of sailing. That is the health and wellness of crews. Like today, the sea posed many threats to seamen and passengers in the Middle Ages. The risk or bodily injury was already high in a physically demanding job such as sailing. Pirates and privateers were a constant threat to ocean travelers. On voyages such as those led by Magellan and De Gama, the chances of being attacked or killed by indigenous peoples were great. Magellan himself discovered this the hard way.
In addition to the endless possibilities of physical Injury, there was also the looming prospect or diseases that could ravage a ship. Contact with new places introduced illnesses to a population and crew with catastrophic results. Improper nutrition and hygiene while out at sea were also catalysts for other diseases such as scurvy and dysentery. With these maladies, sailors and crews still had ways to survive and sail on.

Viking, although also referred to at times as heathen or Northman, refers to a selective group of skilled seafarers from various lands in south Scandinavia. The Viking realms included Denmark, Sweden, and Norway as well as other smaller islands and eventually other countries as the Vikings expanded and settled. From about the middle of the 8th century to the later half of the 11th (793·1066), the Vikings were known to depart their countries on vessels and embark on raiding expeditions to various European countries further south.
JI was during this time that the Vikings obtained an image of shaggy, unkempt scoundrels who aimlessly raped, killed, and plundered their way through Europe with no thought of morals or consideration of ethics. They have been blamed for the decline in education in Europe as they disrupted monasteries and even for the dismemberment of the Carolingian Empire. It Is commonly understood that Vikings would commit heinous acts in various towns to collect loot and then return to their countries. Far less attention was given to the Vikings once they returned home. Consequently, Viking's true culture remained in the dark for some time.

This project looks at the reproduction of one mid-12th-century Roman text by analyzing sixteen versions of it that still exist, copied from c. 1160 through c. 1325. The author was Nicolaus Maniacutius, a cleric at St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. That original copy is lost, but versions quickly appeared in monasteries and cathedrals in Italy, Germany, France, and England. Somehow, through networks of communication and travel, reproductions were made and collected by prominent monasteries and churches, and by the Guildhall, a secular institution in the City of London.

This research project originated as a faculty-student research collaboration with Dr. Marie--Thèrése Champagne. The research is a component of Champagne's book project, tracing the circulation of one text throughout Europe over about 150 years in the High Middle Ages. The text, Ad incorrupta pontificium nomina conservanda, was written by Nichlaus Maniacutius, a 12th century Cistercian scholar from Rome. The text is devoted to preserving the 'proper' naming and lineage of the Catholic popes. Dr. Champagne has spent years locating surviving copies of Ad incorrupta, revealing that the manuscripts are multiple sites across Europe.
Last spring, a small group and I began this project, attempting to reflect the, then sixteen, now twenty versions of Maniacutius's text through legend symbols and an accurate contour map of Europe to be used on an ArcGIS story map.