SCAtoday.net - BBC News

St Margaret's church in Leicester, England ransacked by vandals

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:35:12 -0400

Police in Leicester, England report that vandals broke into and desecrated a 13th century church in the city's center, overturning lecterns, breaking windows and defecating through a floor panel into the church's medieval foundation.

Archaeologists search for lost Welsh towns

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:44:10 -0400

Two Welsh towns near Carmarthenshire are missing. Records show that they existed in the 14th and 15th centuries, but they have long since disappeared. Now researchers hope to find them within the grounds of Dinefwr Park and Castle near Llandeilo.

Youthful portrait of Elizabeth I discovered

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:11:22 -0400

A rare portrait of the young Elizabeth I dating from between 1650 to 1680 has been discovered in a private collection at Boughton House in Northamptonshire.

"Lost" medieval church of Dunwich found with modern technology

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:35:17 -0400

Marine archaeologists believe they have discovered a medieval church which tumbled off an eroded cliff into the ocean in Suffolk County, England. The remains were discovered using sonar and underwater cameras.

Spanish drought reveals medieval city

Sun, 1 Jun 2008 11:36:49 -0400

A severe drought affecting the city of Barcelona, Spain has lowered the water table in the massive Sau reservoir, revealing a once-submerged medieval village. The town was flooded when the reservoir, which supplies Barcelona, was built in the 1960s. (photo)

Practice Latin on the Vatican website

Wed, 28 May 2008 09:58:54 -0400

An ancient tongue gets a modern boost with the creation of Sancta Sedes, a Latin section of the Vatican's website which features papal texts and religious works.

Portrait of Shakespeare's patron discovered

Mon, 19 May 2008 19:03:20 -0400

Experts believe they have discovered a portrait of Henry Wriothesley, Shakespeare's only known patron, under a later portrait of his wife, Elizabeth Vernon. The painted-over image was discovered using X-ray technology. (photo)

Scottish Parliament Archive launched

Sun, 18 May 2008 17:27:37 -0400

An online archive of the proceedings of the original Scottish Parliament from its first surviving act of 1235 to its dissolution in 1707 has been launched.

Irish town emerges as Viking trade center

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:57:57 -0400

Excavation for a highway by-pass have unearthed evidence of a Viking trading center in Woodstown in County Waterford, Ireland. Over 5,000 artifacts have so far been discovered dating to the year 860.

Did smallpox kill Gloucester Romans?

Wed, 14 May 2008 12:11:06 -0400

Experts working on the recently-discovered mass Roman grave in Gloucester, England will be using DNA tests to determine what killed over 90 individuals. A first look at the remains points to a 2nd century smallpox outbreak that swept across Britain.

Crusaders left genetic mark on the Middle East

Thu, 1 May 2008 09:52:12 -0400

Scientists from the Genographic Project, which is tracking human migrations through DNA, have found traces of a particular DNA signature in Lebanon which they link to European crusaders.

Royal Mint introduces heraldic coin designs

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:44:10 -0400

A new series of British coins will feature the heraldry of the monarch. Each coin in the six-coin set will feature an aspect of the coat of arms with the £1 piece depicting the complete shield.

New dig may explain Stonehenge

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:44:29 -0400

Just a few weeks after beginning, the excavators now working at Stonehenge have had what they describe as a "breakthrough." Clues towards the original placement of the bluestones, the site's oldest elements, may reveal why Stonehenge was built.

14th Century Game gets Official Recognition

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:57:21 -0400

The Sports Council in England has agreed that Stoolball, a medieval game mostly localized to southeastern England, meets its criteria to be recognized as a sport. Approximately 4,000 people in the vicinity of Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire play Stoolball.

Plans to exhume Galileo cause controversy

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:02:28 -0400

Plans to exhume the body of Renaissance scientist Galileo Galilei in order to test his DNA and establish the cause of his blindness have caused problems with the Catholic Church. The Rector of the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Florence, where Galileo is buried, is opposed to the exhumation.