February 17, 2023

GASTRO OBSCURA  Chocolate’s Sacred Roots  Ah, chocolate. The symbol of love. But in some cultures, the cacao in chocolate expresses something a little bit darker: death. Artifacts from ancient Maya tombs, for example, feature artistic depictions of cacao and once held cacao residue inside, suggesting that the living left edible offerings to honor their dead rulers and relatives. Cacao, it turns out, serves as a powerful symbol—from womb to tomb.  READ MORE →   WONDER IS EVERYWHERE Your Roundup of Wonder Every other week, the staff of Atlas Obscura drags you down some of the rabbit holes we encounter as we search for our unusual stories. We highlight surprising finds, great writing, and inspiring stories from some of our favorite publications. This week: lost dinosaurs, 5,000-year-old leftovers, and more! READ MORE →   WASHINGTON, D.C. Holt House The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is one of the most heavily trafficked attractions in Washington, D.C., but few of the 2 million annual visitors know that the ruins of a once-grand summer villa are tucked away in a corner of the grounds, just off a service road. The Holt House likely dates to around 1805 to 1810 and is one of the oldest extant structures in the city. READ MORE →   FOR SCIENCE! World’s Longest-Running Experiment In the fall of 1879, Michigan State University’s campus featured a strange crop: 20 narrow-necked glass bottles, each filled with a mixture of moist sand and seeds. Then let’s fast-forward to 2000, when two scientists crept out to the same secret knoll and dug up the sixth-to-last seed bottle—completing the latest act in what has become the world’s longest continually monitored scientific study. READ MORE →   ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Indigenous Desserts of Turtle Island From chocolate, maple, and agave to blueberries, raspberries, and pumpkin seeds, there are all kinds of ingredients found across North America that can be used to make delicious desserts. We’ll cover a variety of techniques that you can use to transform these Indigenous foods into decadent treats for the whole family with recipes that recognize their Indigenous origins and stories, as well as their place in the modern kitchen. ENROLL NOW →   LANDENBERG, PENNSYLVANIA Delaware-Maryland-Pennsylvania Tri-State Point This point sits at the northwestern corner of Delaware, the northeastern corner of Maryland, and the southern edge of Pennsylvania. It’s the result of a survey undertaken by astronomer Charles Mason and surveyor Jeremiah Dixon, and was completed in 1763 as a result of the settlement of a legal dispute between Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware over the topic of disputed borders. READ MORE →   FAR FLUNG PLACES World’s Loneliest Post Office Port Lockroy, located on Goudier Island off the northwest coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, is home to the world’s most southerly functioning post office. In pre-pandemic times, approximately 18,000 tourists visited the remote location annually. But for some, a short tour of the world’s most isolated mail drop isn’t enough. Each year hundreds compete for four jobs at the post office, for a chance to live on an island the size of a football field for five months at a time, without internet, cell service, or even running water. READ MORE →   WUXI SHI, CHINA Heilan Horse Culture Museum A palatial horse museum outside Shanghai is home to the most pampered horses in the world. Look, not every horse pen can be made of marble and cleaned with a buffer, but guess what? At the Heilan Horse Culture Museum in Jiangyin City, China, the stables are just that nice. The museum features 43 breeds of horses from 30 different countries, and is decorated with chandeliers, carted grand staircases, and a shopping mall. It would be-hoove you to visit someday. READ MORE →