Objects Of Intrigue - Atlas Obscura
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Objects Of Intrigue

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objects of intrigue

Secrets of George Washington's Hidden Beer Recipe

It's not as delicious as you might expect.
Lizzie Philip March 11, 2019
objects of intrigue

Secrets of One of the Earliest Terrestrial Globes

The Hunt-Lenox Globe is significant in so many ways.
Lizzie Philip February 27, 2019
Butterfly, Marine Mollusk, and Pear
objects of intrigue

See a Dazzling, Exuberant Renaissance Calligraphy Guide

A masterclass in script, illuminated with an array of curiosities.
Noor Al-Samarrai February 25, 2019
The mosaic votive skull.
Mexico City, Mexico

Mosaic Votive Skull

The turquoise-studded skull of a long-dead Aztec man sits within Mexico City’s Museum of Anthropology.
The vessel is now in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología in Guatemala.
objects of intrigue

Archaeologists, Mayanists, and Hershey’s Collaborated to Reveal This Ancient Vessel’s Secrets

Both the inside and outside spelled out chocolate.
Anne Ewbank February 21, 2019
The four mother goddesses.
London, England

The Four Mother Goddesses

One of the figures in this Celtic sculpture continues to puzzle archaeologists.
Denzer's books remind you that books are objects. Also, cheese is fun.
objects of intrigue

Every Page of This Book Is a Slice of Cheese

And it's sitting on the shelves at several university libraries.
Abigail Cain February 18, 2019
Detail of a historical sailor's valentine by an unknown artist.
objects of intrigue

Sailors' Valentines Were Painstakingly Crafted, But Not by Sailors

They made great last-minute gifts after months at sea.
Anna Marlis Burgard February 14, 2019
Walbrook Stream Skulls and assorted pagan votive figures.
London, England

Walbrook Skulls

It's a mystery why these remains were found with no traces of their bodies in sight.
The ruins of the ancient city of Ur, in present-day Iraq.
objects of intrigue

How to Get Your Laundry Done in Ancient Mesopotamia

A humorous dialogue between a cleaner and customer, useful to both ancient scribes and modern scholars.
Noor Al-Samarrai February 6, 2019
When carving a boar's head, start with the cheek.
objects of intrigue

The Handy Playing Cards That Taught 17th-Century Cooks to Carve Meat Like a Pro

The decks suggested proper technique, and were a path to class mobility.
Jessica Leigh Hester February 6, 2019
Baker, California

Mojave Megaphone

No one's quite sure why there's a metal megaphone bolted on two rocks in the middle of the Mojave Desert.
objects of intrigue

A CIA-Issued Rectal Tool Kit for Spies

This imaginative gadget was designed to get operatives out of difficult situations.
Lizzie Philip January 24, 2019
Some of the Lewis Chessmen.
London, England

The Lewis Chessmen

These mysterious Viking chess pieces spent centuries hidden on a remote Scottish island.
The Alfred Jewel.
Oxford, England

The Alfred Jewel

One of Oxford's greatest treasures likely belonged to the legendary King Alfred the Great.
Mark Bramble's peach tea caddy.
objects of intrigue

Tea Was Once So Valuable It Was Kept in Locking Caddies

At least until the British Empire turned its attention to India.
Noor Al-Samarrai January 18, 2019
Beheading Stone.
Stirling, Scotland

Beheading Stone

Legend says this rock was once a chopping block for public executions.
Stone Head of Salaspils.
Riga, Latvia

Stone Head of Salaspils

This enigmatic artifact remained buried in a churchyard for years.