In a YouTube video, Neil MacGregor discusses a small silver medal commorating the 1577-80 around-the-world voyage of Sir Francis Drake. The video is part of the BBC program entitled Shakespeare's Restless World.(video)

Lady Erlan Nordenskald reports that plans are afoot for a Youth Choir at Pennsic 41.

Dragos Pelikanos reports that he has created an album of photos from Fool's Folly which took place recently in the kingdom of AEthelmearc. The photos are available to view on Google.

Bill Woodbury and Simon Rohrich, of the Tempe, Arizona area, are off to represent the United States in international competition. No, it's not the Olympics, but the Battle of Nations, the world championship of armored combat held in Poland. Mike Sakal of the East Valley Tribune has the story.

Master Frederick of Holland reports that he has posted an album of photos from the Gaston Phoebus hunt and picnic which took place recently in the West Kingdom. The photos are available on PicasaWeb.

Master Phillip the Pilgrim has updated his article on powering CPAP machines and other medical devices at Pennsic-style camping events with new content and pictures.

New research by experts at St Andrews University in Scotland reveals the reading habits of medieval people by determining accumulations of dirt on each page.

Duke Cariadoc of the Bow encourages those seeking an authentic Pennsic experience to consider visiting or camping with the Enchanted Ground at the upcoming War.

William of Loddington reports that Thomas Blackmoore defeated Ragnarr Thorfinsonn in the final round of the May 5, 2012 Crown Tournament in the Kingdom of Meridies.

Freya reports that Count Edward Grey of Lochleven defeated Lord Marcus Blackheart in the final bout of the Spring 2012 Crown Tourney in the Kingdom of the East.

Students from Enterprise Middle School in West Richland, Washington got a special treat recently when members of the Barony of Wastekeep, Kingdom of An Tir visited their school to teach them about life in the Middle Ages. The NBC affiliate KNDO/KNDU has the story. (video)

Edward and Anastasie reports that Count  Khalek Shurrag Od was the victor of the recent Crown Tournament in the Kingdom of AEthelmearc. His Highness was inspired by Branwen ferch Gwythyr.

Little is known about the city of Cölln, across the Spree River from Berlin, Germany, but that may change with the discovery of medieval buildings and nearly 4,000 skeletons. Cölln, the older of the two cities, declined and was incorporated into Berlin.

Contractors for a housing development at Abbey Farm in Eynsham, England, always expected to discover archaeological artifacts, but they were nonetheless surprised to find extensive remains relating to the 12th century Eynsham Abbey.

Evelyn Welch of the University of London has authored an article on hair coverings and accessories in Renaissance Italy and posted it online.

Archaeologists from Ecuador's Cultural Patrimony Institute hope to discover the tomb of Atahualpa, the last Inca emperor, during a dig to be conducted at Sigchos, about 70km south of Quito. The site was found in 2010 by Ecuadoran historian Tamara Estupinan.

Excavations by Bulgarian archeologists Dimitar Nedev and Tsonya Drajeva have unearthed Roman artifacts including a "massive gold ring and a gold leaf from a royal crown" at the site of the ancient city of Apollonia, now Sozopol.

Francesca di Pavia reports that on that Mistress Meenakshi da Gama, of the Kingdom of the Outlands, sat vigil on Saturday, April 28, 2012, to contemplate elevation to the Order of the Pelican.

Master Midair MacCormaic, Kingdom Seneschal for the Middle Kingdom, has announced the list of combatants and their consorts for the kingdom's upcoming Crown Tournament.

Delphina reports that she has created an album of photos from Spring Coronation 2012 which took place in April in the Kingdom of Ansteorra. The photos are available to view on Flickr.

Fighting following a military junta in northern Mali is threatening the historic architectural and cultural center of Timbuktu, on the edge of the Sahara Desert. The city's 60 private libraries are a repository for over 700,000 ancient Islamic manuscripts.

Archery enthusiasts may wish to watch a video clip, posted on YouTube, of the 2012 Indoor Archery World Championships in Las Vegas.

The PBS NOVA series has posted a website featuring short video clips on various aspects of Viking village life. The site focusses on "Birka, a medieval Viking village that archeologists recently excavated near modern-day Stockholm."

Alaxandair O'Conchobhair reports that he has created an album of photos from the Spring 2012 Coronation of Andreas and Kallista in the Kingdom of AEthelmearc. The photos are available on his public Facebook page.

Records from more than 1.8 million ships that sailed through the Danish sound will go online in May 2012. The records date from the mid 15th century to 1857.

The Folger Shakespeare Library and the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford are sponsoring the exibition The King James Bible: Its History and Influence February 28 - July 29, 2012 at the Harry Ransom Center of the university of Texas in Austin.

The recent Arab Spring, in North Africa and the Middle East, was not the first, according to a Deborah Amos report on NPR. The first was the conflict of culture between the Byzantine Empire and the new Islamic religion in the seventh century to the ninth centuries.

THL Evain Macrae, of the Barony of Fontaine dans Sable in the Outlands, reports that she has created two albums of photos from the recent Baronial Investiture and Sworded Affaire. The photos are available on her public Facebook page.

Hugh Tauerner reports that he has created an album of photos from Balfar's Challenge which took place April 7, 2012 in the Kingdom of the East.

The Roman road network, renowned for its scope and efficiency, has now gotten even easier to travel thanks to an online application from Stanford University.  ORBIS is a geospatial network model that covers hundreds of land and sea routes in the Roman Empire circa 200 CE.