#ESPvsAUT In 976 the Bavarian Eastern March was established to defend against Magyar incursions. The first Margrave, Leopold I, extended his March to the Danube. By 1102, the March reached what is now Vienna. Little of modern Austria was within the bounds of the early medieval period Ostarrîchi.

#ESPvsAUT In the beginning of the Islamic conquest of early medieval Iberia, a Pelagius rebelled against Islamic rule. Sent to put down the rebels were Umayyad general ʿAlḳama and Oppa, Bishop of Seville. The general was killed, the bishop captured. Pelagius's kingdom, Asturias, survived until 924.

Medieval treasures - A major exhibition featuring the Hereford Gospels takes place in the Mappa Mundi & Chained Library Museum in Hereford Cathedral. #medievalsky www.herefordcathedral.org/News/the-her...

On Sunday 5th July, I’ll be a guest on the Nordic Mythology podcast to talk about all things monsters! Just in time to get everyone excited for IMC 🐉 More info here: www.instagram.com/p/DaQt_yQjDz... #medievalsky

Calling all history of astronomy nerds, the latest open-access book from the Alfonsine Tables project is now available, featuring late medieval tables from Central Europe - Jan of Głogów, Albert of Brudzewo, Johannes Schöner, & many more: 🌞🌒🪐 www.brepols.net/products/IS-... #HistSTM @brepols.net

#USAvsBIH Despite the Byzantines reconquering early medieval Bosnia from migrating "barbarian" tribes in the 6th century, the Sclaveni peoples remained and settled in the Balkans. The Byzantines accepted Sclaveni settlement as they served as a useful buffer against the Avar and Bulgar Khaganates.

#USAvsBIH While the canyon cities of the Pueblo peoples are their best known sites, these seem to be defensive structures in response to warfare and internal religious conflict. The early medieval period saw the "Golden Age" of the Pueblo culture, with long distance trade and turkey domestication.

#BELvsSEN The arrival of Islam in early medieval Senegal brought luxury trade goods, like pearls, wool, & copper. The Takrur exchanged both gold and people into the Islamic slave trade. The Serer people fiercely resisted Islam, due to their own monotheism, and were forced from Takrur in the 11th C.

#BELvsSEN The first mention of the city of Leuven dates to the early medieval period; Vikings based in the area raided into the fracturing Carolingian Empire. This army was crushed by Arnulf of Carinthia in 891, although the peace was short-lived, and Viking raids continued into the tenth century.

#ENGvsDRC Toward the end of the early medieval period, the Upemba Depression of the DRC saw two cultures arise: the Kisalian and Katotian. The grave-goods of Kisalian women and children are particularly rich, while Katotian graves contain more goods imported from the Indian Ocean trade network.

#ENGvsDRC He called himself "King of all England and Denmark and the Norwegians and of some of the Swedes" - Cnut ruled an early medieval North Sea empire. England fell in 1016 to Cnut's army of Danes, Poles, Norwegians, & Swedes. He ruled for ~20 years, but infighting brought his empire undone.

#MEXvsECU The Manteño culture was active throughout the early medieval period. Some argue the Manteño were more of a trading confederation than a kingdom, like the Hanseatic League. They were long-distance traders; their currency, the shells of spiny oysters, has been found as far north as Mexico.

#MEXvsECU Many cultures emerged in early medieval Mexico. In ~650, as Teotihuacan declined, the Toltec civilisation arose. Admired by the later Aztecs, the Toltec collapsed in internal religious violence. Earlier this year, a sacrificial altar and human remains were found near the Toltec capital.

#FRAvsSWE Early medieval Swedish sailors were not just vikings, some were widely-traveled traders. They settled in Russia and in Ukraine. Russian rivers allowed them to travel vast distances, reaching Constantinople, traded with Islamic merchants, and raided the shores of Africa and the Caspian Sea

#FRAvsSWE In the middle of the tenth century, two Frankish clergymen sought to reunite the Carolingian Empire under the Ottonians. Ultimately, Hugh Capet was elected King of the Franks - Hugh was both Carolingian and Ottonian. Capetian kings ruled France from the early medieval period until 1792.

#CIDvsNOR Eíríkr "Blood-Axe" Haraldsson was a son of Haraldr, first King of Norway. His brother, Haakon, was fostered to Æthelstan; Eíríkr spent his youth as a vikingr. Made King of Northumbria in 947, he was deposed by Eadred, King of England. Restored in 955, but he was betrayed and killed in 955

#CIDvsNOR Just north of the Burkinabe border lie the ruins of Loropéni, a fortified medieval settlement (c 1000CE), part of a landscape that extends into Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. Similar sites have been reported in Côte d'Ivoire, but there are currently numerous issues facing Ivorian archaeology.

#NEDvsMAR The Berber Revolt of 740/43 began in Tangier, & spread across the Maghreb. Throwing off Umayyad rule, early medival Berber polities emerged, like Sijilmasa, which controlled trans-Saharan trade routes Eventually, the Moroccan Almohads (12–13th C) would control the Maghreb and al-ʾAndalus

#NEDvsMAR The town of Dorestad was an important early medieval trade hub, connecting the Baltic and North Seas to Western Europe via the Rhine By the 9th century, the wealth of the town led to repeated viking raids. Eventually, the river shifted, and Dorestad declined no longer connecting the seas

#GERvsPAR During the early medieval period, Paraguay was home to many indigenous groups. Some, like the Guaycurú and the Ayoreo were nomadic in the Gran Chaco region. The Guaná were farmers, while others, like the Payaguá, lived on and around the rivers. Most did not survive the Spanish arrival.

#GERvsPAR After the death of Louis the Pious, the Carolingian Empire was divided. Louis the German inherited East Francia. East and West were already culturally different, with diverging identities. By the end of the early medieval period, Saxons, rather than Franks, ruled what is now Germany.

#BRAvsJPN Seven female Emperors ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne in early medieval Japan. One of these, Genmei, moved the capital to Nara in 719. The new capital, modelled on Tang Chang'an, hosted merchants from China, Korea, and India. Islamic pottery, dating to 768, has been discovered in Nara.

#BRAvsJPN The Tapajós culture of Brazil lived along the banks of the Tapajós River near Santarém throughout the early medieval period. Early colonial reports suggest the area was heavily populated by an organised agricultural society, which is supported by modern genetic and environmental studies.

#RSAvsCAN The Dorset people were a Paleo-Inuit culture of the early medieval period. Inuit legends tell of the Tuniit, a people who were taller & stronger than the Inuit, yet were afraid of the newcomers. Eventually, they were driven from their territories, & were completely replaced by the Thule.

#RSAvsCAN The Kingdom of Mapungubwe emerged from peoples settled along the Limpopo River. Other early medieval sites in this area include Leopard's Kopje, Schroda, Mapela Hill, Khami, & Bambandyanalo. These groups traded with the Islamic world, India & Asia through Zanj & Malagasy intermediaries.

#JORvsARG The Amman Citadel has the ruins of a Roman temple, Byzantine Church, and an Umayyad palace. Amman was an important city in the early medieval period. Quilmes, in Argentina's north, was the site of a large Diaguita settlement in 850 CE, connected to a trans-South American trade network.

#ALGvsAUT In the early medieval period, Algeria was ruled by Vandal and Berber kings (mostly the Berbers). In 585, Byzantium captured the coastal region; by 709 the Caliphs ruled the Maghreb Austria was dominated by the Franks & the Avars until ~630, when the Carantanian Slavs joined Samo's union

#DRCvsUZB The Luba Empire emerged in DCR, with evidence of iron working from ~400, trading dried fish for copper & Indian Ocean trade goods. Early medieval Uzbekistan was home to the Hephthalite Empire, who warred with the Sassanians & sent embassies to China, before falling to Yabghu Turk armies.

#COLvsPOR The Quimbaya were master goldsmiths, and were fond of seated terracotta figures. These were primarily grave offerings. Early medieval Portugal prospered under Islamic rule. Lisbon, an important and wealthy city, was one of the most populous of the time. This attracted Viking raiders.

#CROvsGHA In ~910, Tomislav became Duke of Croatia. The Byzantines, Franks, the Bulgarian Empire and Magyars all pressed the duchy. By 925 Tomislav was recognised as King of the Croats. The cities of Adanse, Bono-Manso, & Begho were founded by Akan people 900–1000CE on early medieval trade routes

#PANvsENG As well as their gold, the Coclé produced beautiful painted pottery. Unlike the Coclé, little is known of the people of Sitio Barriels. In 926 Æthelstan gave his sister to Sitric of Northumbria, to stop his raiding. When Sitric died, Æ invaded, captured York, becoming King of the English

#EGYvsIRN Early medieval Egypt saw repeated unrest. After the 860s, Abbasid control was shaken, and Egypt became more independent. The Anarchy at Samarra saw the rise of the Saffarids in Iran, who fell as rapidly as they emerged. Immediately following the Saffarids were the Samanids, also Iranian.

#NZLvsBEL Near the end of the early medieval period, the Carolingian Empire, was stretched and fractured between warring royal cousins Viking raiders regularly pillaged along the shores of the North Sea. Flanders was an attractive target, especially after English resistance under Alfred the Great.

#URUvsESP Early medieval Uruguay was home to mound-builders and cairn-builders. The mounds may be either for villages or astrological. In 711, amid warfare between rivals for the Visigothic crown, Roderic & Achila II, Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād and a small army invaded Iberia. It was conquered within 8 years

#CPVvsKSA In 899, more than 200 years after the birth of Islam, Saudi Arabia was home to the Qarmatians, a millenarian sect. They raided Basra & Baghdad, and in 930, entered Mecca and slaughtered the Hajji, defiling sacred sites. They carried off the Ḥajar al-Aswad; it was not returned until 951.

#SENvsIRQ In the 10th century, the city of Silla was in contest with both Takrür and the Malian Empire, and was eventually eclipsed by both. Early medieval Baghdad, on the Great Khurasan Road, became the Abbasid capital and the most populous city in the world, a centre of learning and culture.

#NORvsFRA In the 9th century, Haraldr Hárfagri & his wolf-warriors met the fleet of Eirik of Hordaland and Kjotve the Rich. Victorious, Haraldr became Norway's first king. At the same time, the Frankish Empire was fracturing. Royal cousins were at war, & the Norse wanted land, becoming the Normans

1,500 year old woman challenges modern assumptions about disability New research reveals how a woman who lived with a lifelong physical impairment more than 1,500 years ago was supported, valued and buried with honour in early medieval Scotland. news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/1500...

Very cool study! Confirming the connectivity of the Early Medieval Mediterranean world

Langobard woman with healed skull injuries challenges assumptions about violence in early medieval society A middle-aged woman buried in an early medieval cemetery in northeastern Italy is changing what researchers know about violence in Langobard society... archaeologymag.com/2026/06/lang...

#PARvsAUS In ~500, the Guarani moved through South America. In Paraguay, displacing groups like the Mbayá. The Mbayá fiercely resisted Guarani, and later colonisers The eel traps of the Gunditjmara people maintained a sedentary community; more than 200 stone houses are recorded at the site.

#TURvsUSA In the 6th century, the Turkic peoples formed the Göktürk Khaganate. The Khaganate stretched from the Black Sea to Manchuria; it collapsed into civil war in 10 years. The Pueblo culture peaked at the end of the early medieval period, and in the east, the Chakoia complex was forming.

#JPNvsSWE In 593, Japan's first Empress, Suiko, ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Suiko officially recognised Buddhism and opened relations with the Chinese court. At that time, Sweden was in the Vendel Period. Some went east along rivers and swamps to found Verengian polities.

#TUNvsNED As Rome fell Berber kingdoms popped up across North Africa. Some survived until the Islamic conquest in 703. Redbad, a Frisian king, attempted to evict Christian preachers and escape Frankish influence. He was unsuccessful. Eventually Frisia was incorporated into the vast Frankish empire

#ECUvsGER The Capulí culture flourished toward the end of the early medieval period. As well as abstract goldwork, they made human figures called coquero. In 772, Charlemagne entered Saxony and ordered the destruction of the Irminsul Pillar. The Saxon Wars began the Christianisation of Saxony.

#CUWvsCIV The Ceramic Age in Curaçao aligns with the early medieval period. These ceramics are of the Saladoid culture. Parts of the Ghana and Gao Empires were in what is now Côte d'Ivoire. Islamic Wangara traders established towns in the north of the country in the eleventh century.

#CZEvMEX In 623, Samo, a Frankish merchant, led an uprising against the Avars and was made King of Slavs. Samo married into the local nobility, taking at least twelve wives. Early medieval Central America was not just Mayan. Other polities, like the Zapotec & Mezcala, thrived, as did Teotihuacan.

#RSAvsKOR Mapungubwe, a kingdom in South Africa, was not just a site of gold extraction; Indian glass and Chinese pottery have been found at the site. At the end of the early medieval period, the Goryeo kingdom conquered the kingdoms of Silla and Baekje, and unifyied the Korean Peninsula in 936.

CFP: Faces of the Early Medieval World, AEMA 21, University of Newcastle, Australia, and Online, September 30–October 2, 2026. Submissions due July 31, 2026 maryjahariscenter.org/blog/faces-o...

Dorset Museum: Iron Age Copper alloy mirror (right) and early Medieval fine jewellery - just two exhibits from a new exhibition running until the 13th September which showcases finds by Bournemouth University archaeologists and local metal detectorists - more details on our page.