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England

Behind Stonehenge's iconic stone structures, a busy road creates constant noise and is prone to traffic jams.

Why a Newly Approved Plan to Build a Tunnel Beneath Stonehenge Is So Controversial

Proponents say the tunnel will reduce noise and traffic, but some archaeologists fear that it will damage artifacts at the historic site

Ruins of farms on Fuaigh Mòr, an island evicted during the Highland Clearances

How Profits From Slavery Changed the Landscape of the Scottish Highlands

Money earned through enslavement played a key role in the eviction of Highlanders in the 18th and 19th centuries, study finds

An estimated 750 million people worldwide tuned in to the July 1981 ceremony.

Based on a True Story

14 Fun Facts About Princess Diana’s Wedding

The royal nuptials—and the couple’s tumultuous relationship—feature heavily in season four of Netflix’s “The Crown”

An aerial view of the Mount Pleasant henge, as seen during excavations in the early 1970s

Evidence of Neolithic Construction Boom Found at British ‘Mega-Henge’

New research suggests ancient humans built the Mount Pleasant henge in as little as 35 to 125 years

A 2016 study suggested that Henry sustained a traumatic brain injury that affected his temperament following the 1536 accident, but other experts attribute the shift in mood to an ulcerated leg, diabetes or hypothyroidism.

Researchers Find Remnants of Jousting Field Where Henry VIII Almost Died

In January 1536, the Tudor king fell from his horse and sustained significant injuries that troubled him for the rest of his life

Initial lockdowns successfully slowed the spread of Covid-19 and saved lives, studies showed in June. But as countries reopened and people let their guard down, cases—particularly in Western countries—began to rise again.

European Countries Enact New Lockdowns Amid Surge in Covid-19 Cases

Unlike the first round of indefinite lockdowns, most restrictions are planned to last about one month

This month's book picks include A Demon-Haunted Land, South to Freedom and The Light Ages.

Books of the Month

The Heiress Who Stole a Vermeer, Witchcraft in Post-WWII Germany and Other New Books to Read

These five November releases may have been lost in the news cycle

Researchers from ADHS, Historic Environment Scotland, Dendrochronicle and Wessex Archaeology examined the remains of the old bridge.

Cool Finds

Remnants of Scotland’s Oldest Surviving Bridge Found

Both Mary, Queen of Scots, and James V crossed the Old Ancrum Bridge, which was key to travel, commerce and war

The Book of Lismore consists of 198 large vellum folios.

Medieval Manuscript Returns to Ireland After Hundreds of Years in British Hands

The 15th-century Book of Lismore features the only surviving Irish translation of Marco Polo’s travels, among other historical texts

Tourigny analyzed gravestones from four large pet cemeteries in the United Kingdom, including the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.

New Research

Pet Cemeteries Reveal Evolution of Humans’ Relationships With Furry Friends

By analyzing a thousand tombstones, an archaeologist revealed how animals evolved from companions to family in just 100 years

Anne Boleyn was the only Tudor figure beheaded with a sword instead of an ax.

Why Henry VIII Orchestrated Every Detail of Anne Boleyn’s Execution

The Tudor king had his disgraced queen killed by beheading rather than burning

Kiliii Yuyan, Umiaq and north wind during spring whaling, 2019

How Indigenous Peoples Adapted to the Arctic’s Harsh Climate

A new exhibition at the British Museum spotlights an ingenious way of life threatened by global warming

A probable witches' mark found at the site of the abandoned St. Mary's church in Buckinghamshire, England

Cool Finds

Eerie Witches’ Marks Found Among Ruins of Medieval English Church

Archaeologists in Stoke Mandeville found carvings probably designed to ward off evil spirits

Agricultural mechanization resulted in the loss of hedges: In 1946, there were an estimated 500,000 miles of hedgerows in England; by 1993, there were 236,000 miles. A neatly trimmed border hedge in Craigleith, Edinburgh.

How Hedges Became the Unofficial Emblem of Great Britain

A shear celebration of the ubiquitous boxy bushes that have defined the British landscape since the Bronze Age

17-year-old Reece Pickering found one of just three surviving silver pennies dated to Harold II's reign.

Cool Finds

Two British Teens Using Metal Detectors Discovered 1,000-Year-Old Coins

One of the coins is a silver penny dated to Harold II’s brief reign in 1066. The other dates to the time of Henry I

Archaeologists unearthed the friary's ruins beneath the site of a demolished parking garage.

Cool Finds

Long-Lost Medieval Monastery Discovered Beneath Parking Garage in England

Carmelite friars established Whitefriars in 1270, but the religious site was destroyed during the Protestant Reformation

A rare edition of Shakespeare's First Folio sold at auction for $10 million.

Shakespeare’s First Folio Is the Most Expensive Work of Literature Ever Auctioned

A rare edition of the 1623 volume of plays sold at Christie’s for nearly $10 million

The second season of "The Spanish Princess" presents a highly dramatized version of the Battle of Flodden. In actuality, the queen (seen here in a c. 1520 portrait) never rode directly into battle.

Based on a True Story

When Catherine of Aragon Led England’s Armies to Victory Over Scotland

In 1513, Henry VIII’s first queen—acting as regent in her husband’s absence—secured a major triumph at the Battle of Flodden

Sarah Forbes Bonetta, as seen in 1856 (left) and 1862 (right). Hannah Uzor's new portrait is based on the 1862 photograph.

The Little-Known Story of Queen Victoria’s Black Goddaughter

A newly commissioned portrait of Sarah Forbes Bonetta is now on view at the monarch’s seaside house, Osbourne

This circular witches' mark was thought to ward off evil.

Virtual Travel

Virtually Explore a Forest Filled With Witches’ Marks and Other Tree Etchings

A publicly sourced portal spotlights centuries of graffiti left in England’s New Forest

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