Scottish MP demands return of the Lewis Chessmen

A Scottish Member of Parliament is demanding that the entire collection of Lewis Chessmen be permanently kept in Scotland. He is upset that the British Museum, which houses some of these medieval figures, is now saying that the chessmen were created in Norway instead of northern Scotland.

Western Isles SNP MP Angus MacNeil said “The British Museum’s treatment of this link raises real questions about where the chessmen should be displayed permanently.

Ancient Norse Settlements Hit Cold Spell

A long cooling period may have led to famine in Greenland and Iceland more than 1,000 years ago.

Digging into Shakespeare’s later life at New Place, Stratford-upon-Avon

A ground-breaking investigation into Shakespeare’s later life is due to start in Stratford-upon-Avon on 26 March 2010, as archaeologists prepare to excavate the remains of Shakespeare’s house in Stratford-upon-Avon, and the public are invited to come along and watch as the latest story about the world’s most famous writer unfolds…

Archaeological find Roman baths unearthed in Tarragona

It seems the baths fell into disuse as the Roman city became busy and eventually became a habitat area, and a first dating points to the late start of V or VI century.

Pharmacist refuses to issue pill because of her religion

A pharmacist refused to issue contraceptive pills prescribed by a doctor because it was against her religion.

Police to be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners

Every police force in England and Wales will be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners to check the identity of suspects in the street.

Up to 3,000 devices, the size of a mobile phone, will enable officers on patrol to cross-reference prints with national records.

British winter was the coldest for 31 years

After suffering snow, sleet, rain and consistently freezing temperatures, the knowledge that the Met Office has officially recognised winter 2009-10 as the coldest in 31 years brings with it a certain grim satisfaction.

Provisional figures from the forecaster show the UK winter ‑ which in forecasting terms lasts from the start of December until the end of February ‑ has been the harshest, in temperature terms, since 1978-79.

Archaeologists survey Roman road

The history of the road, which runs from Winchester to Chichester, is to be investigated and people are invited to get involved in a field visit.

Da Vinci’s Huge Horse Statue Proven Feasible

Virtual simulations demonstrate that Leonardo da Vinci’s calculations were totally on mark in his plan to build the masterpiece that never came to be.

Nail from Christ’s crucifixion found?

A nail dating from the time of Christ’s crucifixion has been found at a remote fort believed to have once been a stronghold of the Knights Templar.