A heist for the centuries

THE 32-YEAR EARTHQUAKEYour Weekly EscapeExtraordinary people, discoveries, and placesILLUSTRATION BY MATTHEW TWOMBLYWho are we, and how did we get here? Here are the 100 treasures that can tell us. Centuries of sleuthing on six continents have transformed our understanding of human history. From early excavations in the ashes of Pompeii to discoveries aided by robotics or DNA sequencing, see the archaeological findings that shed light on our greatest mystery.SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVEKEEP READING: These archaeological findings unlocked the stories of our ancestors +PHOTOGRAPH BY MANUEL COHEN/AURIMAGES Stolen in 1792, the fate of this diamond puzzled historians for centuries The prized blue diamond, known simply as “the Blue,” was pilfered along with the French Crown Jewels during the turmoil of revolutionary Paris—and it stayed lost for centuries. Here’s the story of how it was stolen, and how historians and scientists cracked the case.SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVEIMAGE BY NIDAY PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO An earthquake lasted 32 years, and scientists want to know how When a magnitude 8.5 mega-earthquake struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra in February 1861, it caused the land to convulse, stirring up a wall of water that crashed on nearby shores and killed thousands of people. Now it appears it was no isolated incident.CLUES WRITTEN IN CORALPHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTINA WARINNER The remarkable story of how a medieval woman was unmasked as an artistWhen you imagine a scribe from the Middle Ages, copying the world’s knowledge onto parchment pages by candlelight, you probably picture a man—more specifically a monk. But precious dust found in the mouth of a woman buried thousands of years ago opens a previously unknown window into the lives of female scribes.A ‘HOLY GRAIL’ PHOTOGRAPH BY NATHAN LAZARNICK, GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM/GETTY IMAGESThomas Edison didn’t invent the light bulb. Here’s what he did do. He has more than a thousand patents to his name, and his innovations helped define the modern world. But in his early days, he crafted a different sort of reputation. This is the story of how “the [telegraph] operator who couldn’t keep a job” became the wizard of Menlo Park.THE MAN VS. THE MYTH A grave labeled B78 contained the skeleton of a middle-aged woman who died around 1100 A.D. At first, the only thing that stood out about her remains was the lack of wear and tear on her bones …READ ON: The remarkable story of how a medieval woman was unmasked as an artistPHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREA FRAZZETTA A Roman ‘superhighway’ is disappearing. Can Italy save it in time? At a McDonald’s on the outskirts of Rome, you can peer through a glass floor and see flat, gray paving stones of an ancient Roman road and twisted skeletons embedded in a two-millennia-old gutter. These are remnants of an offshoot of Europe’s first major highway, the Appian Way, begun in 312 B.C. But its legacy has been largely neglected—until now.A MODERN PILGRIMAGEPHOTOGRAPH BY PETER MATHER Lynx take epic, 2,000-mile treks—but why is a mysteryIn the last five years, scientists have tracked the Arctic wildcats on journeys longer and more challenging than ever thought possible—including one male’s remarkable 2,174-mile journey. But the mystery of just why they do it remains.WHY?OTHER GREAT READSThe lost nuclear bombs that no one can find (BBC) ›› A royal family feuds over who should be king of the Zulus (New York Times)  ››Sign up here to receive Your Weekly Escape and/or our daily newsletters—covering History, Environment, Science, Animals, Travel, and Photography news. 

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