Sarah Durn's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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victorian literature

How Gruesome Penny Dreadfuls Got Victorian Children Reading

Despite causing a moral panic, these salacious tales helped boost literacy in Victorian England.
October 22, 2021
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cave

The History and Mystery of Yemen’s ‘Well of Hell’

The first-ever expedition to the bottom of a startling desert sinkhole found wonders—but only natural ones.
October 20, 2021
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mental health

Haunted Houses Have Nothing on Lighthouses

From drowning to murders to the mental toll of isolation, these stoic towers carry a full share of tragedy.
October 12, 2021
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desert

These Carved Camels Are the Oldest Life-Sized Reliefs in World

The ancient sculptures in Saudi Arabia were made when the desert was green and camels were wild.
October 6, 2021
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ballroom

The Weekly Cross-Dressing Balls of 18th-Century Russian Royalty

How empresses used "metamorphosis" to show their male courtiers who’s the boss.
October 4, 2021
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warrior queens

Unearthing the Secret Life of a Viking Warrior Woman

Nancy Marie Brown’s new book, "The Real Valkyrie," explores what we have learned about a woman buried in a spectacular grave in Sweden.
September 27, 2021
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king arthur

Found: An Early Merlin Tale, Hidden for Centuries

The fragments tell a new version of the magician's encounter with the enchantress Viviane.
September 16, 2021
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greenland

The Northernmost Island in the World Was Just Discovered by Accident

It remains to be seen whether it will stick around.
September 8, 2021