repatriation
Norway Will Finally Return Thousands of Artifacts to Easter Island
Sculptures, weapons, and human skulls will soon go back to the South Pacific.
All Stories
for sale
For Sale: An Abandoned, Decaying Fort on a Private Island
Won't someone, anyone, buy Fort Montgomery?
britain
Found: A Gold Coin From Britain's Roman Revolt
Allectus only reigned for three years, but here he is, nearly two millennia later.
hobby
21 Rare Skills That Could Become Your Newest Hobby
Find your next passion, as recommended by Atlas Obscura readers.
dynamic diasporas
How Basque Food Got to Northern Nevada
It all started with the Gold Rush.
for sale
For Sale: The Entire Town of Story, Indiana
For $3.8 million, you can write the next chapter.
shintoism
The Haunting Beauty of the Reconsecration of Shinto Shrines
Photographer Yukihito Masuura spent more than a decade documenting rituals that connect past and present.
crafts
What a Blanket Made With Dog Hair Can Tell Us About Indigenous Communities in the Pacific Northwest
The Coast Salish wool dog has been extinct for a little over a century.
cooking
Researchers at This Base in Antarctica Eat Better Than You Do
And the chef does it with just one food shipment a year.
ocean
Found: Hot Pink ‘Pagodas’ at the Bottom of the Sea
A deep-sea expedition uncovers a candy-colored oasis off the Gulf of California.
corn
The Promise and Perils of Resurrecting Native Americans’ Lost Crops
Who owns ancient seeds?
africa
Found: The Last Survivor of the Atlantic Slave Trade
Research has placed a new name in a special place on the list of 'Clotilda' survivors.
teens
The Beloved Japanese Novelist Who Became a Queer Manga Icon
Nobuko Yoshiya’s stories of frustrated, forbidden love helped establish a genre read by millions.
ghost towns
You Can Apply to Spend a Month Making Art in a Utah Ghost Town
Welcome to Cisco.
hawaii
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the ‘Olympics of Hula’
Hawaiʻi's Merrie Monarch Festival is arguably the most prestigious event of its kind.
bottle art
See the Lone Survivor of Coca-Cola's Prototype Bottles
It had eluded even the most dedicated bottle treasure hunters.
3d
Explore Historic Maps of Scotland, Now in 3D
The National Library of Scotland isn’t afraid of heights.
sleep
Wanted: Women Who Will Spend 60 Days in Bed, for Science
Space agencies are looking for 12 female participants for a microgravity study that’s every couch potato’s dream.
