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Research in the Centre for Medieval Studies

The Centre for Medieval Studies is the home of internationally-recognised research which combines knowledge, expertise, methods and insight from across the University of York.

Our current research focuses our expertise in the European Middle Ages, and places it within the wider Afro-Eurasion context, and extends beyond the field of Humanities into the fields of scientific study.

Our researchers have strengths in a wide range of areas, with particular expertise in social history, Vikings, religion and dissent, multilingualism, stained glass, art, manuscript studies and palaeography, British and European history and Islamic art, literature and history.

Global reach
Our members lead major national and international projects.
Major funding
Medievalists at the Centre currently collaborate on projects generating over £20m of research funding.
Research excellence
The Departments of Archaeology, History, History of Arts and Language and Linguistic Science are ranked in the UK top 10 for their research, according to the Times Higher Education's ranking of the latest REF results, 2021.
colleagues at the centre for medieval studies discuss research projects at Heslington Hall

Projects

  • Heritage360: using cutting-edge technology to create innovative, effective approaches to engagement with the historic environment
  • Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi Digital Archive: the international research project dedicated to recording medieval stained glass
  • Codex: using state-of-the-art genetic tools to build up a ‘DNA data matrix’ of domestic animals over the last 10,000 years

International networks

Our academic partnerships, both locally and further afield provide partners for ambitious collaborative research and extend our potential funding sources, create possibilities for PhD students and facilitate MA recruitment. We work closely with:

We collaborate with colleagues throughout the White Rose Consortium (Leeds, Sheffield and York) and we have informal relationships with a large number of institutions across Europe and North America.

Our people

Visiting academics
We welcome academic visitors from outside the UK who wish to pursue independent research at York.
Doctoral research projects
Explore the work of our doctoral researchers.