Duchesses Anna and Seonaid are pleased and proud to announce that this Pennsic will feature the return of the Knowne Worlde Ladies of the Rose Tourney. The official date and time of the Tourney is Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 12:00 noon at the East Kingdom Pavilion.

Thanks to the Cornwall Buildings Preservation Trust and The Prince's Regeneration Trust's UK£1m grant, Cornwall's Old Duchy Palace in Lostwithiel has been restored and will contain a permanent heritage exhibition about the palace and its restoration in its basement. (photos)

Tiffany Brown, m.k.a. Teffania de Tuckerton, Chair, SCA Ltd, requests the aid of members of the SCA in Australia to help with special tasks.

Brian de Moray, Free Scholar of the Academie de Espee in the Kingdom of Atlantia reports that a rapier tournament to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research will take place July 29, 2013 at Pennsic 42. Thugs for Jugs - A breast cancer rapier charity tourney - will be held on the rapier field.

Beneath the streets of London runs a river of gold - not actual gold and not actually a river, but archaeological gold in the form of the "lost" Walbrook River. Dubbed "the Pompeii of the north," the thick layer of mud has been a treasure trove of Roman artifacts, from a gladiator’s amber amulet to entire buildings. (photos and video)

Two foot outlines, a right and a left, were recently noticed on removable deck planking on the Viking Gokstad Ship.

Experts are hoping to puzzle out the mystery of a skeleton found buried in a cemetery in the middle of the Lewes battlefield, the site of the historic 1264 Battle of Lewes, which "resulted in the king's defeat and the summoning of England's first representative parliament - as an 'early struggle for democracy.'" All other battle casualties were "slung into a pit.”

Fortresses constructed during the Middle Ages by crusader knights are being used and fought over by both government and rebel forces who see their strategic advantages. The war has already destroyed many historic sites in the country, such as Aleppo's 11th-century minaret.

Master Andreas de Caunteton, Atlantia Kingdom Chirurgeon and Pennsic 42 Deputy CIC, passes along some information reported by Pennsic's Lady Mayor from a recent staff meeting.

Archaeologists have created a detailed map of the medieval port city of Dunwich, dubbed "Britain's Atlantis" because it sank into the sea centuries ago.  Using both high-tech imaging and historic research, archaeologists have been able to map out the town boundaries, streets, and even identify individual buildings.

In an update to Canon Lore, Sorle, Canon Herald, reports that Their Majesties Felix and Eva of the Kingdom of Lochac offered elevation to the Peerage to three of Their subjects at the recent Rowany Festival AS XLVII.

In 2011, DNA evidence confirmed that the infamous Black Plague that ravaged Europe in the 14th century was, as had been suspected for many years, caused by the Yersinia Pestis bacterium. Now a team of scientists have used skeletal microbiology and DNA testing to show that a 6th through 8th century pandemic was caused by the same bacterium.

“When they travel, have a kind of herb dried, who, with a cane and an earthen cup in the end, with fire and the dried herbs put together, do suck through the cane and the smoke thereof, which smoke satisfieth their hunger, and therewith they live four or five days without meat or drink,” writes John Sparke about native Floridians' use of tobacco, which was introduced to Europeans in 1564.

Building on the huge success of past Wasaga under Siege events, the Historic Military Establishment of Upper Canada in partnership with the Town of Wasaga Beach, Ontario Parks, Town of Collingwood and Nancy Island Historic Site look forward to hosting you once again from August 16th to the 18th, 2013.

In a new exhibit, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in London will showcase the work of early Islamic physicians. The mirror of health: discovering medicine in the golden age of Islam will be on display at the college's museum from 1 May to 25 October 2013.

The recent Coronation of Maynard and Liadain in the Kingdom of AEthelmearc was met with great pageantry and ceremony. Mistress Arianna of Wynthrope, former director of the known World Choir, shares video of choral pieces performed during the cermony.

Lilies War Event Steward, Baroness Thyri, reports on road construction affecting travel for the upcoming War.

Online registration for Pennsic War 42 will end Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 11 pm (EDT). All attendees wishing to camp with registered groups are strongly encouraged to register by this time.

In Evening Court at the Coronation of Their Majesties Maynard and Liadain, King and Queen of Aethelmearc, Their Majesties placed Don Antonio de Luna on vigil to contemplate elevation to the Order of the Pelican.

Mistress Gwyneth Banfhidhleir reports that Sir Cellach MacCormach was the victor of the May 26, 2013 Crown Tournament in the Kingdom of the Middle. His Highness was inspired in His endeavor by Lady Vukasin of Lozengia.

Saito Takauji, m.k.a. Matt Parker, Chairman of the Grand Council to the BoD, reports that the Grand Council is looking to add new members.

At the March 2, 2013 Conference of the Richard III Society, Dr Toby Capwell discusses how the royal armorer might have coped with Richard's scoliosis. The 30-minute presentation, with slides, is available on YouTube.

THLord Stefan li Rous has published updates to Stefan's Florilegium for May 2013.

The British Museum will introduce the world to its new World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre with its premiere exhibit focusing on Vikings, and will include the largest known Viking ship. In addition to exhibit space, the UK£135 million project, scheduled to open in March 2014, will provide research, testing, conservation and storage space. (photo)

Master Raven Mayne reports that the category descriptions for the A&S Competition at Estrella War XXX are now available to view online.

Earlier this year, Sandy Gowland of Old Time Patterns issued a challenge: create an historical costume. Some entrants used existing patterns, while others made their own. The winner was announced on May 25, 2013. The results can be viewed on the website.

Master Caelin on Andrede reports that he has created several albums of photos taken by Pyro and himself at the recent Spring 2013 Coronation in the Kingdom of Ansteorra. The photos are available on Flickr.

Steven Finacom of the Berkeley Historical Society looks at the city's history from late April to early May, and includes the first event of what would become the Society for Creative Anachronism on May 1, 1966. The short article appears in the San Jose Mercury News.

Collwyn O'Snowdon of Timeless Photography tried an experiment at the recent Queen's Champion event in the Kingdom of Ansteorra: he uploaded photos from the event - almost live. The results of the experiment can be viewed on his website.

In 2009, the Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Birmingham City Council campaigned to keep the 3,500 artifacts of the Staffordshire Hoard in their cities. Now the councils are teaming up again to raise the money to purchase an additional 81 pieces discovered in November 2012. (photos)