Sarah Durn's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
story
folktales

What Is a Fairy Fort?

In Ireland, fears about disturbing the fair folk have saved thousands of these mysterious ancient structures.
February 2, 2023
story
warrior queens

Meet Caterina Sforza and Other Warrior Queens History Forgot

From Italy’s fortress-seizing countess to Angola’s battle-hardened Queen Njinga, these women didn’t back down from a fight.
January 26, 2023
story
giraffes

Kenya’s Maasai Mara Wildlife Reserve Is a Photographer’s Playground

At least while the lions behave.
February 6, 2023
story
devils

Every January, This City in Ecuador Fills With Dancing Devils

Diablada de Píllaro is a rebellious but festive answer to a much older tradition begun by Spanish colonizers.
January 13, 2023
story
secret obsessions

In 2022, Celebrities Spilled Their Secret Obsessions to Us

From ghost hunting to masala chai, singers, authors, and other influencers revealed their unexpected interests.
December 28, 2022
story
mesopotamia

History’s First Named Author Was a Mesopotamian Priestess

Her name was Enheduanna.
December 22, 2022
story
warrior queens

7 Trailblazing Women from Every Continent

In 2022, we traveled the globe to share the stories of powerful warriors, fearless activists, and more.
December 13, 2022
story
twins

The Psychology Behind Why Identical Twins Inspire Fascination—and Fear

A history of othering, experimentation, and mystery.
November 22, 2022
story
warrior queens

The Untold Story of Henrietta Maria, England’s Warrior Queen

The “she generalissimo” nearly won the English Civil War for her husband, King Charles I.
November 17, 2022
story
she was there

The Secret History of Female and Nonbinary Occultists

A new book examines how supernatural beliefs have often offered a voice, visibility, and vulnerabilities.
October 25, 2022
story
fairies

The Haunting True Story of Bridget Cleary’s “Changeling” Murder

There's more to this 19th-century crime than the dark side of fairy lore.
October 21, 2022
story
ice castles

The Time a Russian Empress Built an Ice Palace and Forced Her Jester To Get Married In It

Cruel joke, power move, or both?
October 4, 2022
story
subculture

Meet the Meteorite Hunters Who Rush In When Space Rocks Crash to Earth

For this community of “space cowboys,” entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts, a fireball streaming across the sky offers big risks and bigger rewards—and new tech is heating up the competition.
September 29, 2022
story
otters

In Prehistoric Ethiopia, Otters Were as Big as Lions

But they didn’t eat our ancestors—probably.
September 21, 2022
story
family

Remembering the 'Ice Widows' of a Doomed Antarctic Expedition

For more than a century, their stories were ignored—until now.
September 15, 2022
story
queens

The Mughal Women Who Wouldn’t Stay in the Harem

From musket-wielding empress Nur Jahan to writer Gulbadan Begum, meet the influential women of the early-modern Muslim empire.
August 31, 2022
story
q&a

Meet the Woman Who Made a Historic Swim in Shark-Infested Waters

Lauren Tischendorf is the first woman to complete the grueling 20-mile swim around Lord Howe Island in Australia.
August 9, 2022
story
queer history

Mary Edwards Walker and the Queer Suffragists Who Changed History

They wore pants, advocated for free love, and refused to back down.
July 20, 2022
story
warrior queens

Did Khutulun and Other Warrior Women Actually Fight in the Mongol Army?

From wielding lethal bows to commanding troops, the female soldiers of the Central Asian steppe were formidable foes.
July 12, 2022
story
gems and jewels

Could This Be The End of a Historic New Hampshire Rockhound Paradise?

When Ruggles Mine went up for auction, mineral collectors feared it would never reopen to the public. After a last-minute reprieve, its future is still uncertain.
July 1, 2022
story
snorkeling

To Rediscover a Rare Cave Crayfish in Alabama, Grab a Snorkel

Thought for decades to be extinct, the tiny animal has stayed hidden in a former subterranean speakeasy.
June 17, 2022
story
tree

For Sale: A Grand Old President (That Happens To Be a Tree)

Up to 1,200 years old, the stately 'Seven Sisters' Oak has held the title for more than half a century.
June 9, 2022
story
queens

The Women Who Ran Genghis Khan’s Empire

From fighting in the army to managing the kingdom, women were key players in every aspect of the Mongol Empire.
May 26, 2022
story
lost

6 Unexpected Treasures Found in Curious Places

From a Nazi code machine found at the bottom of a bay to a vintage Babe Ruth card hidden in a piano.
May 20, 2022