Edu-Kit Catalogue:

Medieval Times

Artifact

What is it?

Penny of William I (1086-1070)

and Penny of Eustace (1138-1153)

Silver Penny

(William I The Conqueror 1066-1087)

Playing Cards

Wax Seal

Metal Cup

How was it used?

These replica coins include

information about the historical

context in which they were minted.

This replica coin includes information

about William the Conqueror.

Used for a variety of different games

such as Piquet a game for two players

using only sixes to aces.

Wax seals were used to mark

important letters to show whether or

not someone had already opened

them and read the contents. The seals

would be in different designs to

indicate who had sent the letter.

A metal cup like this one would be

used for drinking or for measuring

when cooking a meal.

Artifact

What is it?

Quill pen and ink well

Knitting Materials

Child’s Doll

Silver Belt

Fleece, Carder, and Wooden Spool

How was it used?

Before modern day pens and

pencils, people would write by

dipping a feather into ink and using

it as a pen.

These modern day knitting supplies

give an idea of what it was like to

make clothing or other pieces of

fabric in medieval times.

Simple dolls of this style would

have belonged to a child.

This decorative piece of clothing

would have been worn by a noble

or royal woman around her waist.

Fleece is a sheep’s wool after it has

been sheared. Using a carder to run

the fleece out was one of the first

step in making wool clothing

Artifact

What is it?

Emerald necklace, bracelet and ring

Silver necklace

Unicorn Necklace

Imp Pin

Clay Marbles

How was it used?

People in medieval times wore stones

as they believed they possessed

special powers as outlined in

Lapidaries (books about the

properties of stone). Such powers

could be of healing, or that of

warding off demons. Some stones

were regarded above others, such as

rubies and emeralds, and were

collected by royalty.

Jewelry made from precious metals

was very valuable and usually only

worn by nobles and royalty.

In medieval mythology, a unicorn was

a rare creature that could only be

tamed by a maiden. For this reason,

this necklace likely would have been

worn by a young unmarried woman.

The imp statue was originally found in

a Medieval church in England. It is

said that an angel turned the imp to

stone for causing mischief in a church.

An identical statue was built in a St.

Catharines church. Wearing a pin

version of this mischievous imp is

believed to be good luck.

Playing marbles was a popular

children’s activity. Instead of the glass

marbles we use today, children in Me-

dieval times would use marbles made

out of clay.

Artifact

What is it?

White Hat

Flower Crown

Purple Hat

White Hood

Wooden Shield

How was it used?

Men and women both wore a wide

variety of headpieces during

Medieval Times. Hats like this one

which are more decorative than

functional would have likely been

worn by nobles.

This type of decorative headwear

that would have most likely been

worn by a young girl from a noble

family.

Another decorative hat in a style

worn by Medieval nobility.

Hoods were worn by many different

people, from monks and members

of religious orders to regular

citizens and travelers.

A metal shield would be used by a

knight on the battlefield. It would

often be extremely heavy. A wood-

en shield would be used for children

and knights in training to practice

protecting themselves with a shield.

Wooden swords would often be

used for practice as well.

Artifact

What is it?

Crown

Chainmail Headpiece

Metal Helmet with Chainmail Backing

Full Metal Helmet

Jousting Helmet

How was it used?

Crowns were worn by kings and

queens and were the physical

representation of their authority.

They were often very elaborate, with

precious metals and gem stones

placed in them.

Chainmail is a form of armour that

is lighter than the heavy metal

plates knights would often wear.

Chainmail did not provide as much

protection as heavy plate armour

but it made it easier for the wearer

to move around.

This helmet provides heavy

protection of the head with light

maneuverable chainmail protecting

the back of the neck and shoulders.

It does, however, leave the wearers

face vulnerable.

This metal helmet would have

provided the wearer with excellent

head and face protection on all

sides. It would however be very

heavy and greatly obscure the

wearer’s view, perhaps slowing him

down and drastically reducing his

agility in battle.

This helmet has an extra metal

covering the can be pulled down

over the face. It would have provid-

ed maximum protection but would

also severely obscure the wearer’s

view. For this reason, it would be

best in jousting because the wearer

would only need to move in a

straight line while riding a horse.

Artifact

What is it?

Tunic (2)

Tunic

Vest

Plastic Swords

Archer with Crossbow

Jester

How was it used?

The tunic was one of the most basic

garments, worn by both men and

women. Upper class people would

often wear another layer of more

elaborate clothing on top. Tunics

could go from just above the knee to

down to the ankles.

Vests like this one may have been

worn by squires or assistants in a

medieval tournament. The colour and

patterns, as well as any other added

symbols could indicate a particular

family or country one was

associated with.

These plastic swords are the right size

for children to hold, unlike a real

knight’s sword which would have

weighed about 32 pounds.

Crossbows were a useful advance-

ment on bow and arrow technology.

These weapons would hold the bolt

back for the archer, meaning it

required less strength to shoot and

was generally easier to aim. The

difficulty was that it took a while to

load a new bolt, meaning only 2 bolts

could be fired per minute.

A jester was like a clown who was

often hired to entertain nobles and

royalty.

Artifact

What is it?

Guard with Halberd

Trumpet Player

Knight with Sword

Knight with Axe

Mounted Knight

How was it used?

Guards were responsible for keeping

peace in towns and castles and

protecting royals, nobles and regular

citizens as well.

In Medieval times, only a select few

were taught to play trumpet.

Trumpets were not just for music;

more importantly they signaled

instructions to soldiers in battle.

Trumpet players were therefore very

important and heavily guarded.

Knights were the most highly

regarded soldiers. They often came

from noble families since a suit of

armour and a horse were so

expensive. Knights lived by a code of

chivalry that said they must always

protect the weak and remain loyal to

the king.

Knights used a variety of different

weapons including swords, knives,

axes, battle hammers and maces.

Knights who rode into battle on

horses had a significant advantage

over foot soldiers because they had

greater speed and height.

Artifact

What is it?

Flag Bearer

King

Squire

Princess

Horse with Armour

How was it used?

Flag bearers would provide

signals to his fellow soldiers that

could be seen over the battle. They

would also carry flags that signaled

what person, family, or country they

were fighting for.

The king was the supreme ruler of a

country. Kings and queens were not

chosen by the people but rather

established through a line of

succession.

A squire was a knight’s shield,

armour or sword bearer. He would

often serve as an assistant to the

knight as well, running errands and

helping the knight prepare for

battle.

Nobles and royalty were people

who came from wealthy and

powerful families. These people

lived a far more luxurious lifestyle

than peasants, and they often wore

beautiful clothing to indicate their

status.

When a knight rode into battle,

protecting himself also meant

protecting the horse he was riding

on.

Artifact

What is it?

Plastic Shields

Patterned Tights

Gold Trimmed Sash

Plastic Battle Axe

How was it used?

Medieval shields came in many

different shapes and materials.

Wood, animal hide, and metal shields

were all used and could be extremely

heavy. A knight would often

decorate his shield with symbols,

colours, and patterns that would

allow him to be easily recognized

beneath his armour.

Plain tight fitting breeches were

common among peasants in the early

middle ages. Towards the beginning

of the Renaissance period, tight

breeches became popular with

noblemen and kings, though they

looked much more elaborate and

were made of expensive materials.

This decorative piece of clothing

likely would have been tied around

the waist of a noblewoman.

Battle axes were usually made of iron

or steel and wielded by common

soldiers more often than knights.

There were larger two handed axes as

well as smaller one handed axes like

this one which could be thrown at

enemies in combat.