Medieval Era Expert Available to Speak on 'Kingdom of Heaven' Fact and Fiction

Medieval Era Expert Available to Speak on 'Kingdom of Heaven' Fact and Fiction

WPI professor will demonstrate swords and armor from the Crusades

WHO: Jeffrey L. Forgeng, Ph.D, is an adjunct associate professor
of Medieval Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
who focuses on the cultural history of violence in the
Middle Ages and Early Modern Era. Forgeng is also the head
of the curatorial department at the Higgins Armory Museum,
the only museum in the Western Hemisphere entirely devoted
to the study and display of arms and armor. As head of the
department, Forgeng oversees the acquiring, researching,
preserving and displaying of more than 4,600 armory
artifacts, including those dating from the Crusades, which
make up the permanent collection of the museum.

TOPIC: As a Medieval Studies expert, Forgeng can talk about the
historical context of the new Hollywood movie "Kingdom of
Heaven," starring Orlando Bloom. Forgeng can discuss the
authenticity of props used in the film, identify other arms
and armor consistent with the time period, as well as
discuss their evolution.
http://www.higgins.org/Research/combat.shtml

VISUALS: For those looking for a visual component, Forgeng can go
behind the scenes at the Higgins Armory Museum to examine
swords and other artifacts from Christian Europe and the
Islamic Middle East, and how they embody both parallels and
contrasts between the rival cultures of medieval Christendom
and Islam.

SCHOOL
AFFILIATION: Founded in 1865 as one of the nation's first technological
universities, WPI (http://www.wpi.edu/) is renowned for its
innovative project-based undergraduate curriculum and
global projects program. With 2,770 undergraduates and
1,040 full- and part-time graduate students, WPI offers
undergraduate and graduate degrees in more than 30
disciplines in engineering, science and the management of
technology. Working in more than 30 research institutes,
centers and laboratories, the university's faculty and
students are engaged in cutting-edge research in a broad
range of fields.

CONTACT: WPI Media Relations
P: 508-831-5706 and/or 617-520-7084
media@wpi.edu

PRNewswire -- May 6

Source: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

Web site: http://www.wpi.edu/

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