Thegn Grimmund Blackwing reports that Amazon.com is offering free downloads of several books of interest to medieval scholars. The downloads are available for the Kindle or for other e-reader apps.

Three men walk into a bar... you all know the rest. Or do you? British standup comedian Bill Bailey gives the story a medieval twist in this YouTube clip.

A hoard of over 90 silver Viking coins dating to the 9th and 10th centuries was discovered recently by a metal detectorist near Furness, England. (photo)

Anthropologist Francis Thackeray believes William Shakespeare was a pothead -- really -- and hopes to exhume the bard for drug tests. Thackeray's petition for exhumation has been made to the Church of England, based on his research done over the past ten years.

Actor and author Ben Crystal explores the accents of Shakespearean English in a series of videos based on his book Shakespeare on Toast. Crystal offers examples of Received Pronunciation and Shakespearean Pronunciation. (video)

Open University has created a series of 10 short videos chronicling the history of the English language. The series, found on YouTube, is entitled The History of English in Ten Minutes.

A mass burial of Vikings in Dorset, England has revealed a pair of teeth with deep grooves deliberately filed into them. The indentation was probably cosmetic and may have shown status.

Dr Phillip Lindley of Leicester University and experts from EuroPac 3D plan to use lasers and x-rays to scan and reconstruct the tombs of Thomas Howard, the third Duke of Norfolk, and Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond, both prominent in the reign of Henry VIII.

The British may have deeper German roots than previously believed. Archeologists and geneticists have recently shown that in post-Roman Britain, a few thousand German warriors may have overthrown the locals and replaced their Celtic languagewith their own.

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.

The stream of interesting archaeological finds continues at Vindolanda, the Roman fort at Hadrian's Wall near Hexham, England, with the discovery of dozens of circular huts.

Camp Farm in Maryport, Cumbria, England hopes to be the site of a world-class tourist attraction showcasing "the area’s strong Roman heritage and recent archeological finds." Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd has applied for UK£10.7m to build the center.

In the 12th century, Bury Mound, in Northamptonshire, England, held a castle. Now the vacant mound has become the country's best renovation project for 2011.

The green salad goes back at least to the 14th century, when a complex mixture of herbs dressed with oil and vinegar is discussed in "The Forme of Cury". This article traces the history of rabbit food from that point forward in time.

Oxford University historian, Dr. Steven Gunn, has undertaken the task of scouring 16th Century coroners' reports to compile a list of accidental deaths in Tudor, England. The list includes death by bears and archery accidents.

Land records, court rolls, and maps of Nottinghamshire, England are being made available to the public online for the first time. Some of the documents go back as far a the 13th century.

In Hamlet, the melancholy Ophelia drowns while picking flowers. Now a new study of accidental deaths in Tudor England may find a real-life link to Shakespeare's tragic heroine.

A metal dectorist in Lancashire, England has unearthed a 500-year old pilgrim badge of St. Ursula. The badge came from her shrine in Cologne, Germany and is unique in Britain.

An archaeological team from Cotswold Archaeology is leading a dig at Cowl Lane in Winchcombe, England, revealing "more than 40 rubbish pits containing medieval pottery, animal bone and metalworking evidence."

In an article for BBC Magazine, Jon Kelly discusses the endurance of King Arthur as a cultural phenomenon and his latest incarnation on British television.

Seventeen skeletons found in a well in Norwich, England are the suspected victims of an anti-Jewish massacre. DNA and other analysis has shown that the six adults and eleven children were part of the same family and date to the 12th or 13th century.

Archaeologists from the University of Bristol are digging up Edward Jenner's garden, not seeking evidence of the 18th century British scientist, but secrets much older, including a skeleton dating to Roman times.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme blog has posted a new paper on "the potential of environmental archaeology" in regard to the Staffordshire Hoard discovered in 2009 near Staffordshire England.

“+I LIKE MI CHOIES” reads the inscription on a silver posy ring found in a field by a British metal detector enthusiast. The ring has been declared treasure by the British Museum. (photo)

The 15th century bridge in Bridgend, England gave the town its name. Now the town will give something back by using traditional methods to give the bridge a facelift.

In 2012, England will celebrate hosting the Olympic Games, but the year will also include a huge celebration of the works of William Shakespeare. Vanessa Thorpe of the Guardian offers a rundown of cultural events involving Shakespeare.

Leo Hollis sees the city of London as a “series of layered narratives that need to be explored.” This is what he does in his book The Stones of London: A History in Twelve Buildings. Philip Womack of The Telegraph has a review.

For years, a medieval coffin served as a water-garden flower bed in the village of Earl Shilton, England. Now, the sarcophagus occupies pride of place as an exhibit in the courtyard of the Bosworth Battle­field Visitors Centre. Did it belong to Richard III?

Archaeologists from Oxford Archaeology North who are excavating Lodge Farm near Runcorn, England, believe they have found the medieval village of Norton.

Stephen Marche believes William Shakespeare is the most influential man in history, showing up in the most obvious - and unexpected - places.