The cruise ship Minerva offers more than just sun and sea. With on-board historians, a 5,000 volume library, and obscure port locations, the cruise line offers dream vacations for history buffs who have time and a lot of money to spare.

The oldest written documents in Estonia are now online thanks to a joint project between the Estonian State Archives and the Estonian History Museum. The oldest documents data from the mid 13th century.

Armored combatants from 12 countries have travelled to Poland to take part in the Battle of Nations competition.

J. Henderson Artifacts recreates historic pattern mugs, jugs, bottles, jars, chamber pots, candleholders, lanterns, inkwells, pitchers, pots, bowls, pie-birds, dolls, trenchers, plates, churns, including wood-fired salt glazes. Their wares are used as props by several historic sites.

The extensive collection of paintings, engravings and artefacts in the Museum Boijmans Van Beunigen is now searchable online.

Belgian archeologists Fabienne Pigière and Denis Henrotay have found evidence of camels in Belgium, specifically, camels used by the Romans near military and civilian towns. Their report can be found in an upcoming article for the Journal of Archaeological Science.

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.

A rare set of frescoes depicting secular themes have been found in a house in Slovenia. The frescoes depict men and women wearing the latest fashions.

Green Mountain Garb creates historical sewn goods. Custom orders for unique, documentable garb are always welcome! Ready-to-wear garb and other merchandise, including dolls and doll clothing, may also be available; items currently in stock will vary.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, European military orders such as the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller were powerful and rich. Did their contemporaries love them or hate them? Helen Nicholson of History Today does the research.

Was there a guinea pig sitting in the cage of a 16th century classroom? A new archaeological find proves it's possible. The 3rd ever early European guinea pig skeleton has been found in Belgium. Experts believe it was buried like a pet.

Haidner Art Studio & Armoury provides custom made armour for the discerning historical collector, re-enactor and martial artist. Based on designs from the middle ages and Renaissance, armour is built to be as close to the historical types as possible, given each client's budget and design specifications.

Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have an interesting choice of study during the Independent Activities Period between semesters. The can take a non-credit course in food and cooking of the Middle Ages.

Bob Dionisio is funding for his attendance at the upcoming Battle of Nations where he will participate as part of Team USA.

Inspired by medieval and earlier times,Reannag Teine specializes in unique, usable pottery—safe for food and drink and well as modern conveniences as the oven, dishwasher, and microwave. All the designs are drawn free-hand and hand-painted onto the hand-thrown pottery—no molds or stencils used—and our wares are designed sturdy, built to survive years of everyday use.

Archaeologists who have found graves from the early Middle Ages with remains disturbed have long believed that grave robbers were responsible, but new research may show that the destruction was done for other reasons than material gain.

The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra will play host to the "first ever exhibition in Australia dedicated to Renaissance paintings." Artdaily.org has a review. Renaissance – 15th & 16th Century Italian Paintings from the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo will be open December 9, 2011 - April 9, 2012.

RenaissanceCostumesClothing.com is a leading online retailer of Renaissance merchandise. The company offers a wide variety of costume sets, as well as authentic clothing items, such as shirts, breeches, skirts, corsets, vests, and chemises. These items are high-quality, designed in-house, and exclusive to the company.

Students of music in the Middle Ages would have learned their notes in a different manner than their modern counterparts. They would have learned the Guidonian Hand, a mthod in which "a map of notes  was arranged on the hand."

Lady Biya Fujin unveiled a new aviculture resource section on her web site.  The new "articles" section of Lady Biya Fujin's web site now features articles on a wide range of topics, mostly focused on medieval aviculture, presented for the first time as standard webtext.

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.

Foxknife Armory produces carved rattan wasters which are designed to more closely resemble period swords than round batons of flat rattan planks. Thomas has a wide variety of eras and cultures represented and has recently (late 2011) started adding hardware to compliment his blades.

The Known World Aviculturists Guild has its web presence on Facebook, with a site featuring research resources such as links, period illuminations, and discussions by guild members on a wide range of aviculture topics.  A bird is not required to participate in their Society-wide guild--only a genuine interest in how companion birds shaped medieval life.

Visitors to the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will have the opportunity to view 16th century woodcuts, engravings, and etchings relating to the study of science when the museum presents Prints and the Pursuit of Knowledge in Early Modern Europe.

 The type of bacteria which caused the European "Black Death" plague in the mid-1300s has been identified as Yersina pestis, according to a news report on CNN.com.  That particular strain of bacteria no longer seems to exist, although a different form still affects people in a number of countries.

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.

A white spot on an aerial photograph has led researchers to a well preserved Roman gladiator school in Austria. The site has been mapped out in detail using ground penetrating radar.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers free online courses under its MITOpenCourseWare program. Among the many subjects offered is history.

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

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