Author: Ms. R.

The set of reliefs got their name from the central figure, a seated girl with a harp. The set also includes five monumental heads and a cave with sphinx heads on the portal. All these sandstone sculptures were carved by a single person, Václav Levý, a former chef from the castle in Liběchov. He sculpted for his pleasure in his free time between 1840 and 1845. Reliefs of human heads are depicted on the rock, next to them is……

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A volcanic subsidence crater (also called a pit crater or collapse crater) is formed when subsurface magma, supporting the rock overhead, drains away for whatever reason. The unsupported rock “ceiling” over the void left by the draining magma then collapses. (Much the same mechanism accounts for the formation of summit caldera craters, but those are typically at a larger scale.) A subsidence crater can be distinguished from other craters, such as maars (e.g., Soda Lakes in Nevada), or impact……

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For centuries, Lindores Abbey stood in ruins without receiving much attention. For most of the 20th century, the farm was owned by Drew Mackenzie Smith. Mr. Smith remembers how one day, in 2001, an “shambolic chap in a linen suit” came and asked his father to look around the ruins of the Abbey. And then, in six months, a book arrived in the post: Scotland and Its Whiskies by Michael Jackson (not the Michael Jackson, but rather an acclaimed……

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There is a Norwegian saying that can be translated to “A dear child has many names.” The same applies to this 1937 urinal, referred to not only as “the Carousel of Love” (or Kjærlighetskarusellen in Norwegian) but also as “the Wheel of Fortune,” “the Round Barrel,” “the Mushroom,” and “the Umbrella.” This variety in names reflects its role as a gathering place for homosexual men during a time when homosexuality was socially unacceptable and illegal in Norway. The Carousel……

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Learning how to tie knots is one of the OG summer camp arts and crafts activities, and was likely part of the very first American summer camp experience. We asked Atlas Obscura Course Instructor John Bucher, a mythologist and storyteller, to share two easy-to-learn knots that are practical and have fascinating backstories. Knots have been used since prehistoric times for tasks ranging from basic survival—think building shelters and catching food—to aesthetics, such as clothing and ritual traditions. Early humans……

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When the summer heat became unbearable for the delegates writing Indiana‘s first state constitution, they would continue their work in the shade of a large elm tree. Corydon, Indiana, was the capital of the new state upon inception from the Indiana Territory in 1816. Delegates from across the territory would converge to attend the constitutional convention held in a log cabin at the corner of Elm and High Street, starting on June 10. In this log cabin, the summer……

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The Buddhist hell is a fiery, horrifying underworld where the souls of the deceased are assessed by the 10 (or 13) judges of hell over the course of seven trials. Leading the jury is the Rhadamanthine overlord En’ma Daiō, a familiar figure in Japanese culture. While the popularity of the Ten Kings of Hell is humble compared to the major deities and bodhisattvas, there remain a number of Buddhist temples dedicated to these infernal judges across Japan. One of……

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St. Paul’s Pillar is located in Panagia Chrysopolitissa archaeological site, less than a 10-minute walk from the harbor. The pillar itself is an unassuming, stump of marble standing out in the open among the ruins of the early Christian basilica. Legend states the Roman Governor, Sergius Paulus, ordered St. Paul to be tied to one of the columns and flogged for preaching Christianity on the island. Sergius Paulus, eventually converted to Christianity. Due to the location’s association with St. Paul, the……

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