Archaeologists are excited about the discovery of a 300-year-old, perfectly-preserved broom in the excavated latrine of the St. Ulrich Church monastery in Paderborn, Germany. (photo)

Planning on sleeping in style this camping season? The Greydragon Furniture website offers illustrations of period beds as well as plans to build a rope bed.

The identities of the 16th century oak carvings of heads found at Stirling Castle in Scotland have long been a mystery, but historian Dr Sally Rush, who has studied the heads, believes she knows their identities.

Excavations by the Museum of London archaeologists have unearthed the foundations of the city's earliest tide-powered waterwheel at the Greenwich Wharf. The structure has been dated to the 12th century. (photos)

DesignBoom.com has created a website dedicated to the history of the folding chair from ancient times through the Renaissance. The website includes illustrations.

On his blog, McKennawerks, McKenna discusses building a simple, period wagon for SCA use.

As part of a UK£12M renovation of Scotland's Stirling Castle, historians plan to study 33 wooden carved medallions seeking to discover who the carvings depict and why they were carved.

Heraldic Creations will render your personal, household, office, or group coat of arms or badge into a variety of media, including wood carving or burning, painting onto a variety of surfaces, personalized furniture, and cut or mosaic tile articles. Fabric renderings include painted or applique banners as well as baldrics and tabards of office, heraldic table linens, and flags and pennants. Personalized feast settings, mirror boxes, and other unusual items are available as well. They can render other period designs of a more generic nature, such as standalone charges (fleur-de-lis, Celtic cross, animals, mermaids, and such) into any of the available media.

A British website, Countryside Agency Archive, offers free, downloadable books on a number of traditional crafts including blacksmithing, thatching, saddlery, wheel making and furniture design.

A large, carved panel celebrating the Earldom of Charles Somerset, stolen from Raglan Castle during the English Civil War in the 17th Century, has been returned to the castle. The piece was found in a cowshed in Monmouthshire during the 1950s by an antique dealer. (photo)

On Instructables, Morfmir shows step-by-step instructions for making a wooden spoon with Viking era reproduction tools (or modern equivalents).

Del Cover Woodworking, a one-man furniture business in San Diego, California, has created an amazing Viking hammock, the perfect place of repose for a Viking king.

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Suth Guild Hall in conjunction with The Woodworkers Guild Presents: "One Good Turn Deserves Another - A day of Wood Turning."

Learn the basic elements of this age-old craft. Add extra skills to your woodworking. Develop techniques to make different types of SCA gear.

How can this mighty challenge happen?
Using various resources within the region encompassed by the Suth Guild, the Esteemed Brother Waldo Turner (Member or the Embittered Poor) will Location:
Barony of Stormhold (Melbourne, Victoria)

Legio Draconis reports that the latest issue of Artes Draconis, the Arts and Sciences newsletter of the Middle Kingdom, is now available in PDF format online. The Spring A.S. XLIII issue's theme is "On Campaign."

A brief look at a tiny wood lathe powered with a hand-pumped bow is available on YouTube.

Onager offers replicas of ancient catapults as used by the Romans and other cultures up until the medieval period. These are fully functional wooden kits. Makes a great display piece, science project or gift for anyone with an interest in history, engineering or physics.

Build a working model trebuchet! Many sizes and styles are available, all fully functional. Makes a great display piece, educational project or gift for anyone with an interest in history, engineering or physics.

A wooden and ivory throne, dating to the times of Julius Caesar, has been discovered in Herculaneum and is considered to be "the most significant piece of wooden furniture ever discovered there."

"The Gates of Paradise: Lorenzo Ghiberti's Renaissance Masterpiece" will be on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through January 13.

"Datamancer", as Hieronymus Isambard "Jake" von Slatt is known online, is enthusiastic about packaging modern technology in historically inspired Victorian-era enclosures, an art form known as "steampunk." This time, the project is an exquisitely-crafted and fully-functional laptop computer.

On July 1, 2007, a crew of 65 men and women set sail from Denmark to Dublin on a reconstructed Viking warship called the Sea Stallion. The project's goal was to recreate the journey of the Viking raiding parties.

Tired of being cold and damp at events? Fed up to the teeth with hours of setting up and outfitting your tent? Ever dream of just hitching up the wagon and just trailing to an event ready to go in warmth and civilized comfort but do not want to get exiled to the RV ghetto? Then maybe a Vardo or covered wagon is the thing for you!

The medieval Torre Abbey in Torquay is undergoing the first phase of a UK£6.5 million refurbishment to turn it into an educational facility and tourist attraction.

Master Danr Ketilsmiðr of the Kingdom of Northshield reports on progress to construct an authentic Viking Faering using period methods.

Homeowners in Hengoed in Denbighshire, Wales were surprised to learn that a barn on their 21-acre farm contained a secret: the building was originally a rare, 15th medieval hall.

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It started as an idea and has grown into a legend. Alas, all good things come to an end. That's right, Oertha has a new prince and princess and as the summer wanes, it's time for "Who's Afraid of Beowulf 4!"

This will be the last installment of our saga. The great Hrafnafjordr Axe of Might has long carried the spirit of The Beast Grendel within it and has corrupted the shire's Champion. Now the call goes out to find a new hero, one who can defeat the old champion, now turned wicked, and lay waste to the spirit of Grendel himself, freeing the Shire from evil, once and for all....In addition to the championship tourney there will be contests aplenty to celebrate the Viking spirit in all of us including miniature Viking boat building (extra points for authenticity and if it is able to float and hold a small amount of weight), Viking booty call (fashion show) and a good old fashioned beserker contest.  As the evening winds down, come over Byfrost to Valhalla, where we will feast with those who died in honorable combat against the monster that day. Bring your own spirits and a good voice to the Bardic fire. This is the LAST BEOWULF!! Be there or be...uh... square! Lord Gunnar's duties call him elsewhere and he has passed the torch on to other shire folk. Location:
Shire of Hrafnafjordr (Soldotna, Alaska)

Dragon Fire Design is a small craftshold specializing in custom silver and gemstone jewelry, goblets, tiaras, enamels, hand carved wooden staves, and fantasy art. They have a catalog with some ready-made items, but their specialty is custom artistic designs created for the individual purchaser.

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An event of Olympic proportion, do you have what it takes to be a top beer maiden in Valhalla? Is your eye-hand coordination lighting fast for combat spud? Come and find out. This one-day event will test your skills with a motto of "for the fun of it".

Selveirgard - for the fun of it
August 25- 27, AS XLI (2006)
Location: 24657 W. Sunnyside Way, Willow AK.

Camping is available on site for those who wish to come out and do so. Location:
Selveirgard (Willow Alaska)

Teri Centner reports that the Germanic National Museum in Nurnburg, Germany will be opening the doors of its famed medieval collection for the first time in many years.

Christie's withdrew from auction five wooden beams from Cordoba's Great Mosque after questions arose about who rightfully owned them.