Free Republic

On Monday, June 6, we will be live blogging as the court releases orders from the June 2 conference and opinions in one or more argued cases from the current term.

Studies by Archaeologists from the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) and Wessex Archaeology, suggests that the Anchor Church Caves in Derbyshire, England, was the home of a deposed Anglo-Saxon King.The caves were carved from the Keuper Sandstone outcrop, close to the present-day village of Ingleby, and had previously been thought to have been an 18th century folly...Edmund Simons, a research fellow at the Royal Agricultural University said: “This makes it probably the oldest intact domestic interior in the UK – with doors, floor, roof, windows etc – and, what’s more, it may well have been lived in by a king who...

The Wrath of the Awakened Saxon by Rudyard Kipling (1917)It was not part of their blood, It came to them very late, With long arrears to make good, When the Saxon began to hate.They were not easily moved, They were icy -- willing to wait Till every count should be proved, Ere the Saxon began to hate.Their voices were even and low. Their eyes were level and straight. There was neither sign nor show When the Saxon began to hate.It was not preached to the crowd. It was not taught by the state. No man spoke it aloud When the...

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has dropped the nickname “Saxons” for one of the top England teams following a Black Lives Matter-inspired diversity review into the sport. England’s second team, which has been referred to as the “Saxons” since 2006, will have its name changed back to the old “England A” team when they face off against Scotland A in Leicester in June, in order “to reflect the diversity in society”. Announcing their decision to scrap the “inappropriate” nickname, an RFU spokesman told The Times: “We have chosen to revert to the traditional name of ‘England A’ for this fixture...

John Saxon, the rugged actor who kicked around with Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon and appeared in three Nightmare on Elm Street movies for director Wes Craven, died Saturday. He was 83. Saxon died of pneumonia in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, his wife, Gloria, told The Hollywood Reporter. An Italian-American from Brooklyn, Saxon played characters of various ethnicities during his long career. His portrayal of a brutal Mexican bandit opposite Marlon Brando in The Appaloosa (1966) earned him a Golden Globe, and he had a recurring role on ABC's Dynasty as Rashid Ahmed, a powerful Middle East tycoon who romanced Alexis...

An engineering student from Gwinnett County was fatally shot by a police officer on Georgia Tech’s campus Saturday night. The GBI is investigating the incident in which the student, who has been identified by Georgia Tech spokesman Lance Wallace as 21-year-old Scout Schultz of Lilburn, was allegedly barefoot and carrying a knife. The student’s legal name was Scott Shultz, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said. At least two students shared cellphone video showing the tense interaction between Schultz and Georgia Tech police officers, Channel 2 Action News reported. Schultz yells at police to shoot and officers respond, “Drop the knife! Drop...

A braided head of hair found buried beneath a medieval abbey in England has given up some of its secrets, thanks to a scientist's curiosity about the relic, which he first saw when he was a schoolboy. Jamie Cameron, an archaeological research assistant at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, first visited Romsey Abbey, near the city of Southampton, on a school field trip when he was 7 years old. Cameron said he became curious about the abbey's display of a brightly colored and braided head of hair, which had been found in a lead casket buried beneath...

Thanks to "Game of Thrones," television just can't get enough of the Middle Ages. Those flickering smoky interiors, enormous woolly coats and bloody, ax-heavy battles; the remarkable décolletage, the picaresque foliage and mud. Sometimes there's magic, sometimes there isn't, but, by gosh, there's always plenty of bloody hacking and mud. Certainly "The Last Kingdom," the BBC drama that premieres Saturday and is based on the first book of Bernard Cornwell's "Saxon Tales," checks all these boxes in short order. Don't let the exposition-heavy first episode fool you; this may be a sword 'n' longboat epic with a handsome hero at...

Authorities say a man was arrested after explosives were found in a vehicle on an Army base in Georgia and the FBI is investigating. A spokesman for Fort Gordon near Augusta said Wednesday military authorities are not treating the case as a terrorist threat.

The UK's largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure has been discovered buried beneath a field in Staffordshire. Experts said the collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces, which may date back to the 7th Century, was unparalleled in size. It has been declared treasure by South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh, meaning it belongs to the Crown. Terry Herbert, who found it on farmland using a metal detector, said it "was what metal detectorists dream of". It may take more than a year for it to be valued. The collection contains about 5kg of gold and 2.5kg of silver, making it far...

A SAXON brooch and skull uncovered by a metal detecting enthusiast may point to a 1,500-year-old royal grave hidden beneath a farmer’s fields. The Home Office has ordered the exhumation of an early sixth century skeleton found in West Hanney, near Wantage, on Sunday to allow archaeologists to investigate the size of the burial site. The quality of the Saxon jewellery found pinned to the body has already been compared to treasure found at the Sutton Hoo burial site in Suffolk in 1939 (see panel), now on display at the British Museum. Anni Byard, Oxfordshire County Council’s finds liaison officer,...

The remains of a 1,500-year-old Saxon burial ground have been uncovered by two Sussex metal detector enthusiasts. Bob White and Cliff Smith unearthed brooches, a bronze bowl, a spear and a shield from the graves of a man and two women on farmland near Lewes. Mr Smith, of Eastbourne District Metal Detecting Club, said he knew he had found something special when he noticed part of a bowl and a piece of skull. It is thought the family were relatively wealthy and of high status. Mr Smith and Mr White called Sussex Police as soon as they uncovered the items...

Ancient grave markers found at the cathedral Archaeologist Dr Jackie Hall with a rare find of Anglo-Saxon grave markers discovered during repairs to a wall in the cathedral precincts.(8PF0228118) Picture: PAUL FRANKS EIGHT Anglo-Saxon grave markers belonging to ordinary folk have been uncovered in Peterborough Cathedral's grounds during restoration work. Workers at the site, who are repairing ancient stone walls in the precincts, alerted the cathedral's archaeologist to the find, which was discovered in the same wall as a medieval fireplace. Archaeologist Dr Jackie Hall analysed the pieces, and discovered they were 11th century grave markings which are believed to...

7th Century Saxon pendant unearthedApr 10 2007 A TREASURE seeker from Shepshed has discovered a 7th Century pendant near his home. Stacey Spiby, 36, found the rare and valuable Anglo Saxon piece of jewellery while combing a nearby field with a metal detector. The oval pendant, which is about 2.5cm long and 1.8cm wide still needs to be valued, but according to Peter Liddle, Leicestershire County Council’s keeper of archaeology, it may be worth “in the region of a few thousand pounds.” Mr Liddle told the Echo:“ This find is very unusual - it is very much like the items...

Experts have been investigating part of a new cemetery in Black Bourton - and have discovered a Saxon gilded buckle... She said: "When the council purchased the land, it was required to carry out a trial dig which showed there to be Saxon remains in the area. "As part of the planning approval the council is required to carry out a fuller dig before than land can be used for graves."

EXPERTS FIND RARE ROMANI DNA IN NORWICH ANGLO SAXON SKELETON By Sarah Morley 12/05/2006 The recent discovery of Romani DNA in an Anglo Saxon skeleton has made experts re-think the nature of the city's early population. Picture courtesy Sophie Cabot. © HEART Experts from Norfolk Archaeology Unit based at Norwich Castle have discovered a rare form of mitochondrial DNA identified as Romani in a skeleton discovered during excavations in a large area of Norwich for the expansion of the castle mall. The DNA was found in an 11th century young adult male skeleton, and with the first recorded arrival of...

OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGY UNEARTHS SAXON SETTLEMENT IN SOUTHAMPTON by Roz Tappenden 24/03/2006 Excavated 19th century cellar. © Oxford Archaeology An archaeological dig in Southampton’s medieval city centre has unearthed Saxon structural remains and a WWII pharmacy. Archaeologists were called in last November to investigate the 0.5-hectare site in the centre of bustling Southampton after an evaluation by the City Council. The plot, between the city’s High Street and French Street has been earmarked for redevelopment, but the discovery of medieval vaults and structural remains dating from the late Saxon period prompted developers, Linden Homes, to delay building work while investigations take...

Saxon find brings clues to history December 11, 2004 00:01 A NUMBER of ancient artefacts discovered by a metal detecting enthusiast have given vital clues to Suffolk's history. Six gold and silver fragments discovered in a Witnesham field have given historians the chance to confirm details about life in Suffolk around 1,500 years ago. At a treasure trove inquest on Wednesday, Great Suffolk Coronor Dr Peter Dean confirmed the artefacts met the criteria for treasure. A treasure trove inquest is held when an object of at least 300 years old containing a substantial amount of silver or gold is found...

Christening spoon found in grave of Saxon king By David Derbyshire, Science Correspondent (Filed: 09/04/2004) An ancient silver spoon buried in the grave of an early Christian king may be one of the earliest christening spoons found in Britain, archaeologists said yesterday. The spoon was discovered alongside a lyre and copper box for holding relics in the burial chamber of the so-called Prince of Prittlewell, a high-ranking aristocrat who lived in Essex 1,400 years ago. When the grave was discovered this year in Southend-on-Sea, archaeologists described it as one of the most important finds in decades. Although the bones had...

BLOODY KING LINKED TO SAXON BEACH FIND By Richard Wright A RARE gold sword belt ornament which could have belonged to the seventh century Saxon king, Caedwalla, has been found on an Island beach - and there could be another hidden under the sands. Discovery of the intricate gold decoration encrusted with garnets is regarded as being especially historically significant because it could have belonged to the king reputed to have put a quarter of the Island population to the sword in his attempt to convert them to Christianity. Enthusiast Darren Trickey, 21, had gone out for a few minutes...