The mysterious stone enclosures found all over New England

Fairy steps, a Maya swimming hole, and the ocean's twilight zone. Email not displaying correctly? View in your browser. September 09, 2019 Town Pounds The remains of dozens of stone enclosures are scattered across New England. A nearly forgotten aspect of colonial American life, the enclosures were known as town pounds–spaces where lost livestock were brought until their owners could retrieve it for a fee. Read More → SLACK HEAD, ENGLAND Fairy Steps Legend has it that if you descend this narrow stone stairway without touching the rocks on either side, the local fairies will grant you a wish. In reality, the slender stairway was used to haul coffins up the rockface. Read more → MÉRIDA, MEXICO Cenote Xlacah This water-filled sinkhole is one of the few swimming holes where you can go for a dip while looking out over Maya ruins. It’s also believed to have been the main freshwater source for the ancient Maya inhabitants of the city. Read more → Community Flea Market Finds From antiques worth more than their price tag to that one item you’ve needed to complete your collection, yard sales and flea markets can be truly magical. Tell us about the greatest secondhand discoveries you’ve stumbled upon. Share now → New Zealand World's Loneliest Tree The most remote tree in the world is more than 170 miles from its nearest neighbor. Read more → 18 Oversized Attractions All around the world you can find the “world’s largest” versions of animals, fruits, and everyday objects. Our readers told us about the most wondrous oversized objects they’ve discovered. Read more → Ocean Twilight Zone The twilight zone, a region of the global oceans between 650 feet and 3,300 feet deep, is considered one of the world’s last great wildernesses. Although it’s not currently under any specific threat, scientists are taking steps to preserve the ecosystem before it’s compromised. Read more → Bears vs. Sheep vs. Humans After killing eight sheep on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees mountains, a brown bear named Claverina has sparked a decades-old European debate about where predators belong. And while the answer might seem simple—stop bears from killing sheep—the reality is much more complicated. Read more → Visit AtlasObscura.com · View in Browser · Unsubscribe · See All Newsletters 61 Greenpoint Ave #622, Brooklyn, NY 11222