Author: Ms. R.

In 1904, the world was captivated by the discovery of the Oseberg ship, a remarkable artifact from the Viking era, just outside the charming town of Tønsberg, Norway—the country’s oldest inhabited town. Today, Tønsberg continues to entice history enthusiasts and curious travelers with its deep Viking heritage, and at the heart of this cultural heritage stands the impressive Vikingodden. Known as the Oseberg Viking Heritage project, Vikingodden is a unique endeavor dedicated to preserving and reviving age-old shipbuilding traditions…….

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Each week in October, University of Manchester Egyptologist Nicky Nielsen will share an intriguing aspect of ancient Egyptian beliefs and traditions surrounding death and the afterlife. The young man, barely out of his teens, was left alone in the stuffy prison cell. It was the height of summer in 1155 BC and sweat poured down his face, mixing with tears as he contemplated his fate. His name was Pentawere and he was a prince of Egypt—but he was one……

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The Roman Empire’s trade routes extended as far as India and China thanks to the Silk Road oases and entrepôts exporting wool, glassware, silver, and gold, and returning on ships laden with silk and spices. The ruined port town of Arikamedu near Pondicherry, South India, is one of the few sites of Indo-Roman trade known today, believed to have been settled continuously from the 2nd century BCE to the 8th century CE, though its original foundation may date back……

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To the east of Old Goa, a small road leads up a hill where an old church overlooks the hilltop vista. From a distance, the most striking feature of this church, known as the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount, is its setting. Stone steps lead up to the church from the bottom of the hill. Afonso de Albuquerque built the church between 1510 and 1519 after the Portuguese conquest of Goa in 1510. According to historical sources, during……

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It was 1944, and an Allied pilot was flying a B-17 bomber over Nazi territory. Suddenly, the plane began to rattle. He checked his instruments—they were going haywire. As the rattling and noises continued, he glanced out the cockpit window and saw something: a creature, about three feet tall, gray and hairless. Its teeth were sharp and its eyes were red. The pilot soon spied something else, an owl-like creature hammering at the airplane’s nose and dancing a gleeful……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, journalist Susan Casey takes us to the deep ocean, where she explores the relationship between humans and this mysterious underworld. Find out more about Casey’s work on her website, and check out her new book, The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In……

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The historic Shaniwar Wada is an 18th-century palace fort located in the heart of Pune. Around 12 miles (20 kilometers) southeast of Shaniwar Wada, in the suburb of Wadki, is an extremely scenic lake. In 1720, Bajirao Peshwa constructed the walls around the lake, which was once known as Wadki Talao (talao means “lake”). Later, the lake was renamed Mastani Lake (named after Mastani, the second wife of Bajirao Peshwa) because it is believed that Bajirao and Mastani visited……

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The archaeological site of Kasori in Wakaba Ward, Chiba City, is the largest cluster of shell mounds in Japan. Covering about 33 acres, it consists of two neolithic middens connected in a figure of eight, including the remains of more than 100 pit dwellings. Discovered in 1887 and first excavated in 1924, the Kasori shell mounds have become a type site for the Kasori type earthenware of the Middle Jōmon period, commonly found in the Kantō region. The finds included……

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“If it keeps on rainin’, levee’s goin’ to break.” These lyrics, written in 1929 by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie (and later a Led Zeppelin hit), were a direct reference to the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, and the necessity of civil engineering. At the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) tells its side of the story: both about the Great Flood itself, and how the USACE was……

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The Remembrance Memorial to the Victims of the Soviet Occupation was built as a symbolic confirmation of the connection between the present day and the tragic history of the country. The memorial specifically commemorates a period when the Soviet regime deported several tens of thousands of Latvian citizens. The memorial was designed by Kristaps Ģelzis and Ilze Miķelsone. The front façade has a pattern made of red and white granite that is meant to evoke the geometric design of a……

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The Hanakawado neighborhood of Asakusa isn’t quite among its tourist attractions, but it’s home to a haunting feudal-era legend of a serial killer. Back in the 6th century, around the time Sensō-ji Temple was founded, the area was known as Asaji-ga-hara, a wasteland of cogongrass. Barely developed, travelers had to resort to staying at the one old hut that stood by a lake after dark to avoid getting lost or robbed—unaware that a far worse fate awaited them. Living……

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Climb the steps inside this old bell tower and visitors are treated to panoramic views over the Danube and valley below with views of the Alps in the distance. Around 200 CE, the Roman military camp Lauriacum was established where modern-day Enns sits. The nearby settlement of Lorch, today a part of Enns, received municipal privileges in 212. It wasn’t until 1212, however, that the Duke of Austria gave Enns city rights, with the city often cited as the……

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