Stratford's Royal Shakespeare Company is hoping to construct a "flatpack replica" of famous theater for use in large productions in London. The theater interior would be reconstructed inside an existing building.

The Eumathios Philokales project, which focuses on Byzantine monuments, has announced that excavations at two churches have revealed earlier religious buildings dating to the 7th and 11th centuries.

It has been reported on the kingdom list that Their Majesties Uther and Kara, of the West Kingdom, have elected to elevate Lady Katherine de Langelei to the Order of the Pelican, and Vicountess Erzsebeta Magdalena and Sarah Wydville to the the Order of the Laurel.

It was good news and bad news for officials at Stirling Castle in Scotland. A wall retaining late 15th century garden terraces collapsed, but the collapse now affords the opportunity to investigate remnants of gardens made for James IV.

The Vatican has announced that Pope Benedict XVI will appoint Hildegard of Bingen as a Doctor of the Church in October of 2012. The 12th century German Benedictine nun is also expected to be canonized in 2012. (video)

It appears that the replica medieval fortress in Arkansas, being constructed using authentic techniques and materials, has run out of money and is closing.

The Wallace Collection has announced that pre-orders are now being taken for a digital catalog of the arms and armor held by the Wallace Collection. The catalog is being published in USB drive format with an accompanying book.

Viscount Sir Roric Skogan and Viscountess Syele von der Rosen of House Verthandi in the West Kingdom report that Their Majesties Uther and Kara have chosen to elevate two of Their subjects at the recent Twelfth Night event.

Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have an interesting choice of study during the Independent Activities Period between semesters. The can take a non-credit course in food and cooking of the Middle Ages.

When Channel Four TV challenged a team of builders to construct a Roman town house, it never expected the crowds of visitors to converge on the site, leading English Heritage to require emergency repairs. The Roman Town House was the subject of the Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day program. (video)

Alaxandair reports that he has created an album of photos from Kingdom 12th Night which took place recently in the Barony of the Debatable Lands, Kingdom of AEthelmearc. The photos are available to view on his public Facebook site.

The website Bibliotheca Augustana offers a scrollable rendition of the complete Bayeux Tapestry from end to end - and in Latin!

Gerry Dowswell is retired, but that doesn't keep him from wielding a sword in his local chapter of the Society for Creatiuve Anachronism. He knows where his character ends and real life begins. "It's about interaction and fun," Dowswell said, "not delusion." (video)

An essay from a recent issue of British Archaeology suggests that the city of London was  built as a military base by the captured Iceni tribesmen of rebel Queen Boudica, who were then executed. Author Dominic Perring bases his theory on the discovery of hundreds of skulls of young males.

Baron Khevron of the Principality of Oertha in the Kingdom of the West reports that videos of Peerage ceremonies by Lady Merewyn of Ynys Taltraeth, shot at December 2011's Selviergard Yule, are now available to view on YouTube.

Between 1500 and 1782 CE, 25,000 people, including children, were tortured and executed for witchcraft in what is today Germany. Now activists, such as retired Protestant minister Hartmut Hegeler, are seeking to exonerate as many as possible of the German "witches."

The Israel Antiquities Authority reports that remnants of a Byzantine oil jar, dating to the 6th century, has been found on Netanya's Poleg beach. The presence of the large jar suggests trade in olive oil along the Israeli coast. (photo)

Archaeologist Neil Holbrook, chief executive at Cotswold Archaeology, called the discovery of an 1,800-year-old enamelled cockerel figurine in the grave of a child a "most spectacular" find. The figurine is believed to have religious significance. (photo)

In 1545, Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose sank while fighting the French in the Solent, the straits north of the Isle of Wight in England. The remains of the ship were rediscovered in 1971, catching the imagination of historians worldwide. A documentary, Ghosts of the Mary Rose, is available online.

Longing to live the life of a British farmer during the reign of King James I? Now, while you may not be able to live it, you can certainly watch how a group of people take on the task of working a Jacobean farm. The 12-part series, Tales from the Green Valley, is available on YouTube.

THLord Stefan li Rous offers updates to Stefan's Florilegium for January 2012.

The Known World January Estrella War Digest has been published by the staff of the Estrella War.

Bob Dionisio is funding for his attendance at the upcoming Battle of Nations where he will participate as part of Team USA.

The University of Western Ontario Department of English reports that Professor Emeritus, Constance Hieatt, has died at her home in Essex, Connecticut. A medieval scholar and a pioneer in the field of medieval cookery, Hieatt had just completed her latest work, Cocatrice and Lampray Hay: Late Fifteenth-Century Recipes from Corpus Christi College Oxford.

On Legio Draconis, Hrólfr reports that Hrafn Olafsson was the winner of the Winter 2012 Crown Tournament in the Kingdom of Ansteorra. His Highness was inspired in His endeavor by Elizabeta di Valore della Rosawill.

Armour Archive reports that Sir Marius Lucian Fidelis, fighting for Mistress Conna Ingen Ui Chearbhaill was the victor of the January 15, 2012 Crown Tournament in the Kingdom of Calontir.

Promoting their 20th Anniversary performance, The Alexandrian Tapestries, the Golden Stag Players offer a parody video of the Dos Equis beer commercials that feature "the most interesting man in the world."

Whatever your art, skill, or special knowledge of the arts and sciences of the Middle Ages, you are cordially invited to join us for an hour (or longer) instructing a captivated audience at Estrella War XXVIII. Classes will be scheduled from Wednesday (3/28/2012) to Sunday (4/1/2012), starting each day at 9:00 am and ending at 6:00 pm.

It's a "continuing partnership," said Morgantown Roller Vixen Brianna Lovell about Jingle Brawl, a recent charity event featuring three roller derby scrimmage games and an armored combat demo by the local SCA group. Reporter Alex Hines of WBOY-TV in Clarksburg, West Virginia has the story.

A medieval byway between two Welsh Cistercian abbeys, and walked by monks in the 12th century, has been damaged by modern traffic. The city councils of Powys and Ceredigion have banned all access, even walkers, from the path to preserve the ancient track.