letters
Before Envelopes, People Protected Messages With Letterlocking
For centuries, senders used folds, slits, and wax seals to guard correspondence from prying eyes.
All Stories
how the sausage gets made
Harnessing the Power of the Sun to Turn Apples Into Art
In Japan, the labor-intensive practice of apple stenciling is slowly fading.
absinthe
The Absinthe Enthusiasts Hiding Bottles in the Swiss Woods
In the Val-de-Travers valley, people never stopped distilling the spirit.
show & tell
Help Us Identify the World's Best Theme Restaurants
We want to hear about the high-concept eateries you truly love.
comedy
Found: Vulgar Mosaics in a Roman Latrine
They offered bathroom-goers some raunchy entertainment.
awards
In New York, People Can Be Landmarks, Too
A conservancy organization names a new batch of "living landmarks" every year.
story
Ancient Celts Embalmed the Severed Heads of Their Enemies
New evidence backs up the stories that Greeks told about the fearsome Celtic tribes.
urban planning
Rediscovering Mecca Flats, a Legendary Chicago Apartment Building
It was destroyed in 1952, but this storied residence was once a gathering spot for the Chicago Black Renaissance.
flowers
How One Woman Transforms Plants Into Pigment
Kazumi Tanaka paints the natural world with the essence of flowers.
bronze
21 of the World's Most Delightful Bronze Statues
Atlas Obscura readers nominated their personal favorites.
mosquitoes
How to Mail Mosquitoes
It involves a syringe.
mosques
What Did This Mosque Sound Like More Than a Thousand Years Ago?
Researchers have recreated the acoustic atmosphere of the ancient Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba.
telescopes
Where on Earth Can You Put a Giant Telescope?
Why astronomers keep putting them in the same places.
law
What It Took to Get Impeached in the 14th Century
You basically had to sell a castle to the enemy.
potatoes
Why an English Museum Has a Collection of Magic Potatoes
Touch of the rheumatiz? Try carrying around a purloined spud.
nomad foods
The Life-Giving Properties of One of the World's Oldest Cheeses
In Xinjiang, the living process dairy the way 4,000-year-old mummies did.
satellite
See How Badly Crop Burning Is Fouling Northern India's Air
NASA photos show an impenetrable haze.
show & tell
33 of the World's Most Enchanting Local Magic Shops
Atlas Obscura readers share their personal favorites.
