A stunning miniature of a 15th century knight slaying a dragon has been found in Carlisle, England. The cast silver gilt piece is of high quality and thought to be a piece of jewelery rather than a pilgrim's badge.

Built in 1426 to store grain, the medieval Harmondsworth Barn is as large as a cathedral nave, and still has the marks from the carpenters and masons who constructed it. English Heritage has added it to its national collection which includes Stonehenge and parts of Hadrian's Wall.

It was good news and bad news for officials at Stirling Castle in Scotland. A wall retaining late 15th century garden terraces collapsed, but the collapse now affords the opportunity to investigate remnants of gardens made for James IV.

Maria Vretmark has a "fantastic story" to tell: Who is buried in King Magnus Ladulås' tomb? New DNA tests carried out by her team have determined that at least some of the bodies in the tomb in central Stockholm, Sweden are several centuries younger than the reign of Magnus, who ruled from 1275 until 1290.

In a recent interview, NPR's Robert Siegel investigates the magic of stilt-walking, including the 600-year-old tradition of stilt-jousting in the city of Namur, Belgium. The story is available in print and audio.

A bronze bell from Derry, Ireland, in storage since the 1930s, may be the world's oldest existing church bell. The bell dates to 1411 and was probably made in France. Christian symbols on the bell lead researchers to believe it may have once belonged to a church or abbey.

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.

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.

A recent inquest in Norwich, England has resulted in a number of artifacts, dating from 800 BCE through the 15th century CE, being declared treasure. The six groups of treasures were all discovered by metal detector enthusiasts. (photo)

In a speech to help save the forests of Transylvania, Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, revealed that he is related to Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century Romanian warlord who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula.

In a September 2011 article on the Fabric-Store.com website, Nicole Novembrino discusses the history and structure of the Gothic fitted dress, featured prominently in images from the mid-1300s until the mid-1400s.

In the late 15th century, the Bourtzi fortress castle was constructed to protect the Byzantine city of Nafplio from invasion from the sea. Now the castle is to be restored as a tourist attraction. (photo)

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey was on hand recently for the re-opening of several sections of Istanbul's famous Topkapı Palace, including the 15th century weapons exhibit, the fourth courtyard and the kitchen.

M. Moleiro in Barcelona, Spain is offering a facsimile edition of the Isabella Breviary, a 15th century illuminated manuscript given to Isabella the Catholic to commemorate the double marriage of her children, Infante John of Asturias and Infanta Joanna. (photos, video)

Lisa Maloney of the Anchorage Press joins David Teague and company for a class in the art and science of German longsword. The techniques are dervived from manuscripts and writing from the 14th and 15th century.

A 15th century will from the Norfolk Record Office, one of few records of common soldiers, was left by Thomas Longe who was "willing to die" for King Richard III at Bosworth Field.

15th century Bavarian lager beer may have an unlikely parentage: a blend of German yeast with one found in the beech forests of Patagonia in southern Argentina, and brought to Germany aboard European ships.

How did the shipping of huge amounts of gold and silver from the New World contribute to the collapse of the Spanish Empire? Learn about that and how the Medicis evolved from a criminal gang into international bankers and the richest family in Italy in the PBS series "Ascent of Money" presented by Professor Niall Ferguson.

Excavation of one of Henry VIII's palaces has revealed that the site was an affluent home long before Henry VIII moved in. Elsyng Palace is located in Enfield, England.

In an article for the Jerusalem Post, professor of Jewish history and dean at the Schechter Institute, Renee Levine Melamme tells the story of a family of 15th century "crypto-Jews" tried by the Spanish Inquisition in Ciudad Real.

A 15th century Tudor house in Southampton, England constructed by John Dawtry, builder of the Mary Rose, has reopened after nine years of restoration.

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.

CastleReign creates reproduction antique and medieval doors for your home, tavern, art studio, game room, garden and other areas around your home and business. 

In the 15th century, the Ottoman Turks brought an end to the Byzantine Empire. Among the last to fall were the small towns on the Black Sea, one of which, Sozopol, is the site of the recent discovery of a late Byzantine church.

A presentation from the 2011 annual conference for the North European Symposium for Archaeological Textiles (NESAT) explores the use of the bra in the 15th century. The paper by Beatrix Nutz is entitles Bras in the 15th Century? A Preliminary Report.

Tangwystyl reports that she has posted an album showcasing Spanish pottery painted at her class at A&S and June Crown in the Kingdom of the West.

A British study that measured the effort it took to wear a suit of armor on a treadmill has determined that the suits were so exhausting to wear that it may have affected battle outcomes during the 15th century.

A team of Bulgarian archaeologists are engaged in the excavation of St. Peter and St. Paul monastery in Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. One of the finds is a silver ring dating to the 15th-16th centuries. (photo)

Renaissance Costumes and medieval clothing for those with discriminating taste. Also, buttons, patterns, notions, jewelry, tapestries, toys, swords, panther tents, and more.

The area near Stirling Castle in Scotland was a dangerous place in the 13th - 15th centuries. Evidence of this can be seen in the recent discovery of five skeletons buried at the castle which exhibit signs of having suffered "brutally violent" deaths.