Lectures & Videos

Digital Humanities

La Reimaginación de la Edad Media Global: Un enfoque de inteligencia artificial para explorar los intercambios culturales

A Spanish-language presentation at the 50th Anniversary of International Week of Medieval Studies in Estella, Spain (July 2024)

Immersive Global Middle Ages - New Directions in the Humanities Conference 2021

We reimagine the Middle Ages as global, diverse, and interconnected, using digital humanities and VR reconstructions of Plasencia to explore interreligious communities, cultural exchange, and immersive historical representation.

Coronado Muster Roll - World Exploration in Augmented Reflections

This video is about Augmented Reflections' Coronado Muster Roll and a World Exploration using Unity-Oculus integration.

Medieval Spanish Manuscripts, Modern Digital Repositories: The future of scholarly-curated thematic collections supported via public engagement.

Dark Archives 20/20 Conference. The Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature

Digital Narration of "La Mota" (Virtual Plasencia) accompanied by the Texas Early Music Project

Convivencia Re-envisioned "La Mota". Title: “La Mota”: A Christian Assumes Ownership over Jewish Homes, circa 1416

Virtual Plasencia (Spain): An Interdisciplinary Geovisualization and Transcription Endeavor

"Virtual Plasencia (Spain): Evaluating the Relationships of Jews, Christians, and Muslims Via an Interdisciplinary Geovisualization and Transcription Endeavor"

Sephardic Jewish Culture and History

Traigo nuevas de las Américas: Presencia sefardita en el suroeste de Estado Unidos

A Spanish-language presentation at Primeras Jornadas - America&Spain250: Conmemorando los doscientos cincuenta años de las relaciones entre España y Estados Unidos 1776-2026, hosted by the La Fundación Ramón Areces y Queen Sofía Spanish Institute, Madrid, Spain (May 2024)

The Unbelievable Story of the Carvajal-Santa Maria Family

From Martinez-Davila, Roger Louis. Creating Conversos: The Carvajal–Santa María Family in Early Modern Spain. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-268-10321-7. Available at: http://undpress.nd.edu/9780268103217/creating-conversos/

Deciphering Secrets: Museo de Burgos and its Jewish Artifacts - Part 1

An introduction to the Museo Sefardi (Toledo, Spain) by Director Santiago Palomero Plaza. The museum is located in the former 14th century Synagogue of El Transito.

Deciphering Secrets: Museo de Burgos and its Jewish Artifacts - Part 2

Coexistence in Medieval Spain: Jews, Christians, and Muslims

A video selection from my edX.org and coursera.org courses, Deciphering Secrets and Coexistence in Medieval Spain: Jews, Christians, and Muslims, which explore Jewish, Christian, and Muslim intercultural relations in Iberia from the Visigothic era (6th century CE) until the creation of Queen Isabel I and King Ferdinand II Catholic Spain (late 15th century). We evaluate the many identities of the peninsula known as Christian Hispania, Jewish Sefarad, and Islamic al-Andalus. We trace the origins and trajectory of conflict between these communities (the Muslim conquest of Spain, Christian Reconquista, prohibitions blocking intermixing of peoples, and expulsions). We aim to understand conflicts within communities as well, such as the tensions between Christian Arian Visigoths and native Catholic Iberians or the fundamentalist North African Almohad Dynasty that rejected the Spanish Umayyad Caliphate’s preference for religious tolerance. We delve into an appreciation of collaboration and coexistence among these communities. We explore the unique role of the Jewish community who Muslims and Christians depended upon as political and cultural intermediaries as well as their intellectual collaborators. We find the history of how peoples attempted to create and manage viable diverse communities. Enroll at: https://www.coursera.org/learn/coexistence-in-medieval-spain

Paleography - Learning Old Handwriting

The SILReST Paleographic Method, developed by Dr. Martínez-Dávila, introduces non-specialists to medieval Spanish handwriting in two to three weeks. Using six clear strategies—scanning, identifying letters, locating common words, recognizing abbreviations, finding cognates, and transcribing—participants build skills to decode manuscripts, fostering accessible entry into Spanish paleography and historical research. More resources at: https://grants.uccs.edu/deciphering-secrets/spanish-paleography-and-historical-resources/