The disappearance of Earth’s largest lake

A race to save history, Hatshepsut's myrrh tree, and more.
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	March 07, 2023

From Our Friends At Big Think

The Largest Lake in Earth’s History

Maps of Earth’s distant past have the strange ability to shock by their sheer alienness. Consider this one showing the Paratethys Sea. It’s the largest lake the world has ever seen. Paratethys formed about 34 million years ago, toward the end of the Eocene epoch, and you could have sailed from what is now Austria to what is now Turkmenistan—if there had been boats back then, or people.

A Race to Save History

For some time, Jennifer Carroll and Michelle Stahl had discussed collaborating on a project about New Hampshire’s Black history. When the pandemic hit, their project moved online, resulting in a project called Recovering Black History in the Monadnock Region that uncovers the names and stories of the Black individuals and families who lived in the region between 1730 and 1930. The project is emblematic of efforts of a number of communities that are working toward uncovering and preserving previously untold Black history.

Newport Beach, California

The Frozen Banana Stands of Balboa Island

“There’s always money in the banana stand!” Many people remember Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Stand from Arrested Development, but few realize that the show took inspiration from a real-life location in Newport Beach. In fact, it took inspiration from two of them.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Singing Whales of Tonga

Humpback whales are among the most seasoned composers of the sea; stringing together long, drawn-out notes to make complex melodies, they sing to attract a curious listener—more specifically, a mate. Alongside a small group of Atlas Obscura and Tastemade travelers, you’ll have the chance to dive into the waters off the coast of Tonga in search of these ethereal whale songs. Starts this summer!

Hatshepsut's Myrrh Tree

Despite attempts to erase evidence of her reign, Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s mark on history proved indelible. Even now, we revere the New Kingdom’s pharaoh queen as having been one of the best rulers, not just in ancient Egypt, but in the history of the world. At Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple on the Nile, a withered ancient tree stump still stands as a testimony to Hatshepsut’s influence and political prowess.

Outlander, Here We Come

Scotland’s Standing Stones

Throughout Scotland, strange clusters of stones spike up from the earth. Built thousands of years ago, their purpose and significance remain lost to time, transforming the stones into monuments to mystery. They may not transport you to 18th-century Scotland like the fictional Craigh na Dun in the Outlander series, but these seven sites still maintain their magic, making it easy to imagine you’ve slipped into the distant past.

Atlas Obscura Courses

Suminagashi & Ebru Marbling

Discover the magic of marbling with artist Linh My Truong, creating colorful, psychedelic designs on paper and fabric. Traversing the globe, we’ll cover two main types of marbling: the delicate, flowy imagery of Japanese suminagashi marbling using inks and sumi brushes, and the vibrant patterns of Turkish ebru marbling with paint.

Belvedere, Sint Maarten

Tata the Bus Driver

On a nondescript roundabout close to the border of Saint Martin but in Sint Maarten, the Dutch half of the island, is a statue of Jean-Frederique Brooks, a bus driver who ran the school route and kept mischievous pupils firmly in line. Brooks is kept company by a butcher who supposedly had 42 children, and a woman who baked free food for those who could not afford tasty treats. Island authorities have said they regard them as folk heroes.

Atlas Obscura Puzzles

Something Smells! Crossword

Today, we present to you a crossword that will make scents once you solve it. How quickly can you get through this week’s puzzle?

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