Excavations for a housing development in Great Ellingham, Norfolk, England have uncovered a large cemetery dating to Roman times. The 85 graves are thought to belong to a rural settlement.

An olive press dating to the 6th – 8th century CE has been discovered at a road construction site near Hod HaSharon in Israel. The press "had been carved into huge building slabs that were sunk into the ground."

In 1609, King James I for England tricked nine Scottish clan chiefs into captivity on the Island of Iona, where they were held until agreeing to submit to the Statutes of Iona, designed to break Scottish allegiance to their homeland and bolster British rule. Sarah Fraser of History Today has the story.

In an article for the New York Times, Istvan Deak opines that what the European Union really needs is a unifying force, such as the Holy Roman Empire, led by a modern Charlemagne.

If things had gone differently in the 15th century, Michael Abney-Hastings, the 14th Earl of Loudoun, would have been King of England. Instead, he worked as a forklift driver in New South Wales, Australia until his death recently at the age of 71.

A team of experts from the University of London, Royal Holloway, and the British Library and Reading University has discovered documents to prove that 16th century Italian Academies created networks to share information.

Ongoing excavations at the Silchester Roman Town in Hampshire, England show that Roman citizens in the area seasoned their food with spices imported from the Mediterranean, and enjoyed foods such as olives, celery and dill, native to warmer climes.

"Pilgrimage is about remembering 'our journey toward heaven,'" said Cardinal Keith O'Brien who recently led a group on the ancient pilgrimage from Edinburgh to St Andrews, Scotland.

In a recent review for the New York Times, James Shapiro looks at The Elizabethans by A. N. Wilson, which chronicles the lives of a number of eminent men and women of late Tudor times "who made the age so memorable, including the most remarkable of them all, Queen Elizabeth."

The Arabic Manuscripts Digital Library of Jerusalem reports that it will make thousands of Arabic language documents, dating to the early Islamic era, available to access on the internet.

The Roman heritage of the Balkans is about to get a boost with an EU-funded renovation project of the Roman fortress Sexaginta Prista near the city of Ruse, Bulgaria.

Wolsey's Gate, a Tudor tower built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in Ipswich, England, was the subject of vandalism recently when the 16th century brickwork was covered by graffiti.

Officials at Durham Cathedral and University are readying themselves for the arrival of the 1,300-year-old Lindisfarne Gospels at the university in 2013, with such activities as a concert by the newly formed Lindisfarne Gospels Community Choir.

On the blog Cultural Compass, an employee of the Harry Ransom Center chronicles the discovery of rare evidence of medieval eyeglasses, not in an illustration, but in the end pages of a book.

In 1996, archaeologists began the investigation of Whitehall Farm in Northamptonshire, England, and were pleased to find coins and pottery buried beneath the farmland. Now, in 2012, the Whitehall Farm Roman Villa and Landscape Project has been completed. (photo)

New research has corrected an historical oversight: women were instrumental in the 1381 Peasant's Revolt which saw burning and plundering of London and the execution of Lord Chancellor Simon of Sudbury over his hated poll tax.

Master Maol Mhichil mac Ghiolla Pheadair reports that Their Majesties Wulfgar and Devon, King and Queen of Northshield, placed Murdoch MacArthur on vigil to contemplate elevation to the Order of the Chivalry.

Maistir Brandubh Donnghaile, Silver Buccle Herald, reports that Their Majesties Andreas and Kallista, King and Queen of Aethelmearc, offered Master Fridrikr Tomasson av Knusslig Hamn entry into the Order of the Laurel at Their recent Pax Interruptus event.

Archaeologists believe that there had been continuous occupation of the area around Ewell Village in England since the 4th Century. Now a three-week dig hopes to uncover evidence of a Roman settlement along the road which ran from Chichester to London. (video)

Thyri reports that Their Majesties Hirsch and Magdalena of the Kingdom of Calontir have placed Rebecca Beaumont on vigil to contemplate elevation to the Order of the Pelican.

Celibacy for Christian clerics was not required until the 10th century, and new research reveals that resistance was widespread.

Many movies and books portray Vikings as "really dirty savages who wore horned helmets," but the website ScienceNordic sets the record straight with the educational article What Vikings really looked like.

 Ursus of Anglesey has begun posting Pennsic pictures from Pennsic War XLI to his online gallery.

Three galleries from the early days, Saturday and Sunday are now on-line, with more coming.

A team of experts in Austria plans to construct an authentic medieval castle in the town of Friesach, using only period construction methods. The project is expected to take 30 years to complete.

Eirik Anderson reports that he has created an album of photos from Trillium War 2012 which took place recently in the Kingdom of Ealdormere. The photos are available on his SmugMug website.

The annual royal English "swan upping" was cancelled this year due to dangerous conditions caused by flooding. The event dates back to the 12th century, when the crown laid claim to all swans on open water. The crown still retains this right.

The website Mapping the Medieval Countryside: Places, People, and Properties in the Inquisitions Post Mortem has been created to provide online access to records of the "recorded lands held at their deaths by tenants of the crown."

The sailing of Three Rivers' carboard ship, the Esperanza, for the Wings of Hope Charity, has placed a spotlight on the SCA in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Reporter David Baugher of the South County Times recently interviewed several members of the group. (photos)

Sara reports that she has posted an album of photos and video from Hammerhold Defender which took place recently in the Kingdom of Gleann Abhann. The photos are available on Flickr.

On August 5, 2012, several Drachenwald residents participated in a virtual cheesemaking day where cheese was made at home and the results posted online. Aryanhwy made two different cheeses and shared her process on her Live Journal website.