A recent report in Urðarbrunnur, the journal of the science association at Laugar in the rural district Þingeyjarsveit, Iceland, suggests that remains found in a large hole in the turf wall in Þegjandadalur, Iceland show the practice of ritual sacrifice in the time before the country converted to Christianity.

A team of amateur archaeologists from the Ingleborough Archaeology Group has discovered evidence of an Anglo Saxon building in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in northern England. The "exciting" discovery is "the first building in the national park that is firmly dated to the 7th Century and is one of only a handful in the north."

In her PhD dissertation for University College London, Kathleen Rose Palti looks at 15th century song lyrics, how they were used and circulated, and women's roles in the production of the songs.

A site excavated at a train yard in Japan is thought to have been a facility that provided food and lodgings to Korean and Chinese enyoys. The facility is mentioned in ancient manuscripts and dates to the 8th or 9th century CE.

A history buff who made some medieval-style stocks as a Halloween prop is offering to give them away free to whoever writes the best mini-essay explaining why they'd like to have them and how they will be used.

According to The Onion's entertainment reporter, a troupe of traveling mummers is making a hit across the USA this holiday season.

Thomas Hughes, President of the SCA Inc., announces the transition of the office of Society Children's Officer Coordinator to that of Special Deputy [to the Society Seneschal] for Family and Youth Programs.

Up Helly Aa, the rousing Viking winterfest held each year in the Shetland Islands, has been named number four in a list of the ten best winter festivals compiled by the British travel publication Wanderlust. Stephen McGinty of The Scotsman has the story.

Syr Deotrich Hiltipard reports that Their Majesties Kynan and Gilliana, of the Kingdom of the Outlands, have chosen to add Syr Deotrich's squire, The Honorable Lord Felix Sniumi, to Their ranks of the Order of the Chivalry.

Archaeologists continue to make new discoveries that shed light on the construction and use of Stonehenge. The latest discoveries are "evidence of two huge pits positioned on celestial alignment" marking the rising and setting of the sun.

The festival season in the SCA means masked balls. For inspiration, dancers may want to visit the commercial Italian site Bluemoon Venice, for inspiration in creating simply gorgeous masks.

Experts at the British Library have matched a bronze seal matrix, dating to the 13th century, with a 19th century sulphur cast of a seal belonging to the Augustinian canons of Stone Priory in Staffordshire. The matrix was discovered recently in a Surrey field. (photos)

In an article for the History Today, Patrick Wormald, Lecturer in History at Christ Church, Oxford, looks at the myth of a unified Anglo-Saxon England.

Milan, Italy is one of Western Europe's most polluted city, and art historians fear for the survival of Leonard daVinci's Last Supper located on a wall of the refectory of Santa Maria Delle Grazie Church.

Scientists have long puzzled over the acoustic properties of grand churches and performances of late Renaissance music with its elaborate, up-tempo harmonies. Now a physicist and a music technologist believe they have cracked the secret.

The BBC program, The Manor Reborn, has restored a 16th century manor house to four distinct periods of its history.

"There are only two known crypts in Devon and Cornwall and the other one's a Saxon crypt," said archaeologist Stewart Brown about a Norman crypt excavated in summer 2011. Two intricately-carved columns from the crypt have been reburied for preservation purposes.

In an effort to save paper and expedite arrivals, Pennsic 41 will feature the event's first-ever electronic check-in, or "eTroll." Fred Brezel, who has managed the Pennsic preregistration process for years, announced the change Friday, and he says it has been under development for two years.

The November 2011 issue of Katsujinken Online Magazine features an article by Greg Mele and Terry Pfister, of the Chicago Swordplay Guild, on the history and modern deployment of knightly tournaments.

In the mid12th century, English and Welsh crusaders took part in the siege and capture of the Spanish city of Tortosa. Some apparently liked the climate and decided to stay. In an article for the Journal of Medieval History, Antoni Virgili tells their story.

Lady Bethia Somers, Acting Kingdom Sheriff for the Kingdom of Atenveldt, reports that there will be an auction for the unclaimed Lost and Found items from the 2010 Estrella War at the 2012 War.

Every athlete - be they football hero or SCA knight - knows the value of pickles and pickle juice as a "secret weapon" to balance electrolytes during intense exercise, especially in hot weather. Now a new study from Brigham Young University validates the folk remedy.

The Parish Church Cathedral of St Michael in Coventry, England was constructed in the 12th century. In World War II, it was destroyed when the city of Coventry was bombed and burned. Before the destruction, five historic windows were removed and are now the subjest of a BBC slideshow.

The November 2011 issue of National Geographic Magazine showcases the Staffordshire Gold Hoard, an historic treasure discovered in 2009 in Staffordshire, England with an article by Caroline Alexander.

The new film Anonymous, which debates the authorship of Shakespeare's plays, has opened a new controversary: the playwright's religion. L'Osservatore Romano reports that references in several plays prove that the Bard was Roman Catholic.

On his blog, British woodworker Robin Wood writes about his participation in the construction of a full size replica of the Oseberg Viking longboat in Oslo, Norway.

Lady Kyna Terricsdottir reports that her sister, Baroness Adena Terricsdottir, was offered entry into the Order of the Pelican by Their Majesties Aaron and Amelot of the Kingdom of Ansteorra.

Collwyn O'Snowdon reports that he has posted several videos of fencing on YouTube taken at the recent Bordermarch Autumn Melees (BAM) in the Kingdom of Ansteorra.

Scholars and preservationists at the historic site of Jamestown, Virginia, believe they have discovered the remains of one of the country's oldest Protestant churches, the site where Pocahontas was baptized and married.

A study published in Antiquity looks at board games and traces their spread from ancient Mesopotamia through medieval Europe and into 20th century America.