All Stories

Sofia Ixcot Xivir's mountainous town of Zunil, near Quetzaltenango.

clothing

Identity, Community, and Defiance, All Woven Into a Blouse

In Guatemala, to wear a huipil is to represent millennia of Maya history.

A nugget from Silver Charm, lovingly encased in a Mason jar.

races

For Sale: Preserved Manure From a Kentucky Derby Winner

Just $200 can get you a resin-encased chunk of horse racing history.

It's good to be the first First Lady.

taxes

Martha Washington Used a Government Perk to Cancel Her Newspaper

Just four of her "Free Franks"—letters delivered without postage—are known to survive.

Barbara Erni's trunk didn't hold valuables, but it did hold a tiny man or a large child.

female scammers

The Liechtensteinian Lady Burglar and Her Mysterious Trunk

Barbara Erni stole from countless inns thanks to a chest with a secret hidden within.

A section of the Great Wall, in Yanqing County, contains mortar made with blood.

rice

Ancient Chinese Buildings Are Held Together With Rice, Sugar, and Blood

Edible additives in mortar served both practical and philosophical purposes.

Skull-Shaped Beer Steins Were Once Popular Graduation Gifts

germany

Skull-Shaped Beer Steins Were Once Popular Graduation Gifts

They were part of a broader wave of adventurous stein-craft.

It's easy to picture Pooh and the gang trotting around Ashdown Forest, pictured here in 2016.

woods

A Fire Broke Out at the Forest That Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood

But in the wake of the blaze, a ranger said the prognosis isn't so gloomy.

Thanks to its years as a penal colony, Islas Marías has beautifully untouched reef systems.

nature preserves

Mexico’s Newest Nature Reserve Will Be a Former Prison

Octavio Aburto and other Mexican ecologists want to preserve the pristine reefs of the Isla Marías penal colony.

The Ferris wheel in Pripyat’s Luna Park was intended for a grand opening on May 1, 1986. That ceremony never came, and now fresh trees have broken through the surrounding tarmac.

chernobyl

The City the Chernobyl Disaster Left Behind, Then and Now

Archival images of Pripyat before the accident offer a stunning contrast to what visitors will find today.

This 18th-century ivory ball contains eight smaller spheres.

puzzles

The Mind-Boggling Artistry of China’s Ivory Puzzle Balls

This traditional art from Guangzhou can never be produced legally again.

Women marching at Christopher Street Liberation Day, an early gay protest in New York City. June 20, 1971.

potluck

How Lesbian Potlucks Nourished the LGBTQ Movement

Now a queer stereotype, the lesbian potluck has radical roots.

The historic lunar module timeline book.

auctions

For Sale: The Instruction Manual Used During the First Moon Landing

It includes the first writing from a human on another celestial body.

Celebrate Children’s Book Week With Rare Titles Courtesy of the Library of Congress

internet

Celebrate Children’s Book Week With Rare Titles Courtesy of the Library of Congress

A hundred years and counting of promoting childhood literacy.

The many-legged millipede, locked away in amber.

3d

Found: A 99-Million-Year-Old Millipede, Perfectly Preserved in Amber

The newly described species has a five-unit compound eye and an unbristled butt.

Though the Amish reject much modern technology, phones have made their way into the community.

religion

A Hopping Hotline Brings the Amish and Mennonites Together

The dial-in conferencing service is a popular hub for theology chat and tractor-related recommendations.

A batty wine label from around 1880.

sauce

When Wine and Sauce Labels Were Glorious Works of Art

The wealthy once labeled their ketchup, soy sauce, and champagne with style.

A statue of da Vinci in Amboise, France, where his remains are presumed to lie.

italy

This Lock of Hair Could Tell Us Where da Vinci Is Buried

The location of his remains is in dispute.

The Perito Moreno glacier at Los Glaciares National Park. The park is predicted to lose about 60 percent of its current ice volume by 2100.

glaciers

Glaciers at World Heritage Sites Are Melting Before the World’s Eyes

A new inventory shows just how at risk these icy giants are.