August 24, 2022

REVELATIONS ABOUT NATURE  Moths, Museums, Mysteries  When digitizer Louise Berridge discovered a leopard moth in the archives of the Natural History Museum in London, England, her interest was piqued. The moth had a label: “taken by Prof. Owen,” possibly the Richard Owen, founder of the museum she was working in, though Owen is widely recognized for his work to the study of fossils, particularly dinosaurs. So what was a moth doing here? And how did it contribute to the study of climate change?  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA The Death of Funeral Pie Of all the parties to crash, a funeral in the traditionally parsimonious Mennonite community doesn’t seem like an obvious choice. But the funeral is also a place for a funerary feast, which was a rare opportunity for extravagance among Pennsylvania Germans. The sweet star of the funeral banquet: raisin pie, a dish so tied to the event that it became a euphemism for death itself, signifying that death was near. The treat was such a common sight at post-memorial meals, it also became known as funeral pie. READ MORE → BRAGA, PORTUGAL Polychrome Augustus of Prima Porta The common misconception about the ancient Greco-Roman world that persists today is that the marble statues of its gods and emperors were always intended to be that way, white and pristine. But ask any modern historian and they will tell you that these statues were originally polychrome, painted in all the vivid colors you can think of. In the city of Braga, visitors are treated to a replica of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar in gloriously full color. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES | STARTS TOMORROW! Women of Abstract Expressionism In this five-week series with artist and lecturer Regina Mamou, we'll unpack and demystify Abstract Expressionism—stepping past the dude-circle of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning and focusing on the women artists who shaped the movement in the mid-20th century. ENROLL NOW → SINISTER SIDES The Dark Side to Rainbows The next time you see a rainbow, perhaps resist the urge to point at it. All around the world, cultures have developed taboos around pointing at the many-hued natural phenomenon, from the Lakota of the northern plains in North America to isolated islands in Melanesia. For years, Robert Blust has been searching for these rainbow-themed taboos, trying to understand each cultural taboo and the motivations behind the beliefs. READ MORE → WINNETKA, ILLINOIS The Home Alone House For those who grew up in the 90s, Home Alone is a sort of cultural touchstone. One of the most iconic places in the film was Kevin McCallister’s (Macaulay Culkin) home, a gorgeous mansion located in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka. Fear not—it’s booby trap-free. READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST Clown Egg Register In this episode, we visit a collection of ceramic eggs that records the personal makeup designs of clowns around the world—and to some extent, a clowning code of conduct. LISTEN ON OUR SITE →    LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS →    LISTEN ON SPOTIFY →    LISTEN ON STITCHER → DINNER PARTY IDEAS Ancient Bison Stew 50,000 years ago, a bison named Blue Babe died and froze rapidly following its death. Researchers were amazed to find that Blue Babe had frozen so well that its muscle tissue retained a texture not unlike beef jerky. Its fatty skin and bone marrow remained intact, too, even after thousands of years. Why not try eating part of it? That’s exactly what one dinner party in 1984 set out to achieve. READ MORE → GOLDFIELD, NEVADA Paste Eater's Grave As the story goes, a vagrant wandering the streets of Goldfield in 1908 was rummaging through the trash outside the local library, looking for something to eat. The best sustenance he came across was a jar of book paste. He would have found the paste surprisingly sweet, because in addition to flour and water, it was 60% alum, but 100% deadly. This grave states what little the townspeople knew about him. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Explore the Sands of Time in Tunisia Join us in Tunisia for a journey into the Sahara desert and back. We'll loop through a myriad of unique landscapes, wander through winding medinas, relax by ancient oases, and cross a multicolored salt lake. Explore relics of the many civilizations that once called this land home—from the ruins of Carthage to the remains of Roman amphitheaters to the earthen structures of Tataouine. Tunisia’s architecture, culture, and cuisine are as diverse and dynamic as its millennia-old history. BOOK YOUR TRIP →