Chemical analysis of the Medici Venus, a 1st century Roman sculpture housed since 1677 at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, has determined that the sensuous lady once had painted lips, gilded hair and jeweled earrings.

Lady Sara de la Val and Joseph Piselli report that they have posted albums of photos from the recent Gulf Wars XXI. Lady Sara's photos are available on Flickr, while Joseph's can be viewed on PhotoBucket.

Plans for the new kitchen and classrom space are on hold at Norton primary school in North Yorkshire, England due to the discovery of a Roman kiln, complete with pottery fragments.

Baron Bjorn Hrafnsson, Artemisia Kingdom Archer General, reports that the SCA will sponsor a series of archery shoots open to all archers of the Known World.

Shava from Northshield has added 90 more video recordings of SCA bardic performances to her extensive YouTube channel, which now has over 500 videos. The performances include works from multiple kingdoms and many venues.

Sports physiologists are examining the skeletons found on the Mary Rose, an English ship that sank in 1545. They are looking for stress injuries and other markers that would indicate which skeletons were professional archers.

Thomas Flamanc of Kelsale, who has participated in both Lochac and Drachenwald, was elevated to the Order of the Laurel on 31 April 2012.

The History Channel is offering Facebook members a chance to win a full set of jousting armor in conjunction with their program Full Metal Jousting. The sweepstakes ends April 15, 2012.

Cailte reports that at Their Court at Outlands Heralds and Scribes, Their Majesties Kynan and Gilliana placed THLady Theresa Yolanda Cabeza de Vaca on vigil to contemplate elevation to the order of the Laurel.

Collegium Cantorum, under the  direction of Timothy Kendall, will present "Master of the Notes", a  concert of Renaissance polyphony by Josquin des Prez (c.1450-1521) on April 14 and 15, 2012 in the Washington DC area.

Rochdale, England pub manager and re-enactor Neil Ashton never expected to enlist his medieval skills to defend his home until two robbers climbed in a window, causing Ashton to reach for the nearest weapon, his six-foot spear.

Denison University, a small college in Granville, Ohio, houses a surprisingly large collection of rare books and documents. Its holdings include a book of Psalms from 1492 and a treatise on alchemy written by a Franciscan monk in 1350.

Two boys, aged 11 and 12, were responsible for a fire that destroyed a 13th century castle in Slovakia. The fire started when they were trying to light up a cigarette.

It's that time again ... Pennsic may feel a lifetime away but it's right around the corner. Deadline for registering classes is May 1, 2012. Earlier is better. Really. It is.

Eirik Andersen, of the Kingdom of Ealdormere, reports that he has restored his albums of photos from Pennsic War 2006 on his new website.

The Národní třída metro station in the center of Prague, Czech Republic, is the site of an archaeological dig that has so far revealed evidence of townhouses dating back to the 12th century. (photos)

Ursus of Anglesey has posted more photos from Gulf Wars from Wednesday.

Her Grace, Duchess Nerissa, reports that Master Paul de Gorey was victrious in the March 31, 2012 Crown Tournament in the Kingdom of Drachenwald.

The chivalry and pageantry of Gulf Wars was recorded recently when Tim Doherty of the Hattiesburg American visited the War. His report, along with a slideshow of 32 remarkable photographs, is available online.

The Member Services Office at SCA corporate headquarters announces the online availability of April 2012 kingdom newsletters.

Duchess Megan reports that Duke Haouc was the victor of the March 25, 2012 Crown Tournament in the Kingdom of the West. His Grace was inspired by Mina Wynter.

Paul de Gorey won Drachenwald Crown Tournament on 31 March 2012, fighting for Aryanhwy merch Catmael, on a cool grey morning at Linnet Clough in Cheshire.

If you look at a medieval calendar, you'll see a column containing a seemingly random series of Roman numerals. These actually represent the dates of new moons. Like many things in the early calendar, the values are based on a theoretical value rather than the actual astronomical event.

Master Adam Stedefast, Blue Iris Herald for the Kingdom of the Outlands, reports that Their MajestiesKynan and Gilliana offered elevation to the Order of the Pelican to Mistress Maimuna al-Bukhariyy.

The Steampunk community was up in arms this year at the appearance of a man in elf ears at a convention in Baltimore, MD.

SCA members attending a camping event in the Shire of Tuzocci were attacked with pepper spray and other riot-suppression weapons when mistaken for Occupy Wall Street protestors.

Citing record readership of stories about Inspirational Equality and the same-gender consort debate, the editorial board at SCAtoday announced that they will now be adding the phrase "same-sex consort" to every new article.  Stories on the topic garnered over 15,000 reads, with at least 80 of those coming from people outside of An Tir.