THL Rowena of the Sleepy Unicorn has posted a wonderful album of photos from Closing Court at Pennsic War XL.

For ten years, archaeologists have been excavating the Islamic convent/fortress near Aljezur, Portugal. recent discoveries include "a mosque, 21 burials and a funerary head stone with an Arabic inscription," all of which have added to the impressive site.

Conde Fernando Rodriguez de Falcon of the Kingdom of Calontir relates a tale from Pennsic War XL involving the Crowns of Calontir and Northshield, a game of Angry Birds Badminton, beer, bacon, and a bottle of Boone's Farm Fuzzy Navel.

During the Middle Ages, the Border Reivers rode the lands between England and Scotland, stealing livestock and wreaking havoc with ruthless abandon. Now, their modern versions are riding to raise money for wounded British soldiers.

THL Angharad Albanes reports that at the July 2011 Coronation Courts of Their Majesties Thorin and Dagmaer of the Kingdom of An Tir, Their Majesties recognized a number of Their subjects as Peers of the Realm.

Those who would like to update their feast gear may want to take a look at the Fabric Store's article How to Make Your Own Linen Napkin, a simple project with detailed directions.

Wessex Archaeology has been called in to oversee archaeological activities at the Charles Street development in Dorchester, England after the discovery of a child's grave dating to Roman times.

Cateline la broderesse of the East Kingdom reports that she has created two albums of photos from Pennsic XL. The photos are available on PicasaWeb.

There is more to the Pennsic War than battles. Lady Mary of Montevale, Features Reporter for the Pennsic Independent, visited the A&S Exhibit at Pennsic 40 and spoke with some of the artisans. (photos)

How did Christopher Columbus really change history? Not by the "discovery" of the New world, but by ecological convulsion, the exchange of plants, animals and diseases between the two continents. Such is the premise of Charles C. Mann's new book 1493.

Leslie Vaughn, Chairman, Board of Directors, SCA, Inc., addresses a variety of topics covered at the recent BoD Meet 'n Greet at Pennsic XL.

DonalBane of Blakmers, Battlefield Reporter for the Pennsic Independent at Pennsic 40, reports that the East Kingdom and allies were victorious in the final battles of the War.

On its website, Field and Stream features St. Hubert’s Rangers, a small group which re-enacts "medieval hunting as closely as is possible in the 21st century, adopting the personae of nobles, huntsmen and foresters of the middle ages."

Stirling, Scotland is gearing up to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, which saw Robert the Bruce's victory over the English on 24 June 1314.

While the war between the East and the Middle raged on, another battle is took place near Hanover Germany, this one for a conquest of an mythical land. The Conquest of Mythodea claims to be the world's largest LARP.

THL Krystene of Blatha An Oir reports that Their Majesties Thorin and Dagmaer of the Kingdom of An Tir have placed THL Robert de'la Trinity the Chickenheartrd on vigil to contemplate elevation to the Order of the Pelican.

A cache of Roman coins found by metal detectorists has lead to the discovery of a large Roman settlement near Devon, England. This pushes the known boundaries of the Roman empire in England further west.

THLord Stefan li Rous shares updates to Stefan's Florilegium for August 2011.

"We live the Giostra in our hearts," said Tilde Carugno about the Giostra Cavalleresca, or medieval jousting, that transports the tiny central Italian town of Sulmona to the Renaisasance for one summer week each year. (photos)

Jack reports that he has uploaded two videos of the christening and launching of Calontir's cardboard longship as part of a fund raiser for the Wings of Hope charity.

The discovery of the graves of Norse women in eastern England has now led scholars to believe that Viking women emigrated earlier than once believed. Research on 14 Norse graves showed that six of the graves contained the remains of women, some armed with sword and shield.

Their Royal Majesties Aaron and Rustique have offered peerages to two of Their subjects. Mistress Gaerwen of Trafford and Baroness Eyrny Ormarsdottir were both invited to join the Order of the Pelican.

The Tournament of the Phoenix, long known for jousting, will feature a Longbow / Traditional Archery Contest at this year's Tournament of the Phoenix and Festival of History 2011 Saturday October 22 and Sunday October 23, 2011 in Poway, California.

AOL has published a slideshow of "11 Bizarre and Mysterious Historical Sites," including several from the Middle Ages. (photos)

The newest prince and princess of Insulae Draconis, which is the principality of Drachenwald that includes the British Isles, Channel Islands, Ireland and Iceland, are Robert of Canterbury, Caversham Herald Extraordinary, and Geneviève la Flechière, Rouge Manche Herald Extraordinary.

Eirik Anderson of the Kingdom of Ealdormere continues to upload photos from past events on his new website. Now available: photo galleries from Pennsic 2004.

Workers at a construction site in Bedford, England recently discovered a section of wall dating to Roman times. Further discoveries included roofing tiles, floor tiles and pottery, leading experts to believe the artifacts belonged to a Roman villa.

Archaeologists working in Pamukkale, Turkey believe they have found the tomb of St. Philip the Apostle. Pamukkale is the modern name of the ancient city of Hierapolis where Philip was killed.

Caid's Duke Guillaume de Belgique was the focus of a recent "On The Job" column in the Patch, a local Southern California news service website, which profiled his work with the independent educational outreach program Chivalry Today.

Hundreds of narrow tunnels called "Erdstalls" can be found throughout the Bavarian region of Germany and Austria. While most experts agree that they are medieval, no one knows why they were built or how they were used. This has led to the Erstalls being called "Central Europe's last great mystery."