Contours and Resources of the Middle Ages

From its inception, medieval studies has been multidisciplinary. Due to space limitations, this essay focuses on multidisciplinary resources and on medieval women and literature. The former is included as a counterpoint to general resources; the latter because they are usually important components of the suite of duties for subject specialists in European studies. The chapter opens with a discussion of the terms “medieval” and “Middle Ages,” the sources used by medievalists, the institutionalization of medieval studies, and recent trends in the field, and concludes with a very brief history of the period.