All that glitters is lead at this historic Native American site

Galápagos land iguanas, fantastic frescoes, and more. Email not displaying correctly? View in your browser. November 11, 2019 All that Glitters is Lead By archaeological standards, Kincaid Mounds, the site of a prehistoric Mississippian city occupied from 1050 to 1400, is downright glitzy. Located at the southern tip of present-day Illinois, the mounds are riddled with galena, a lead sulfide mineral that resembles supersized chunks of glitter. Read More → Galápagos Land Iguanas In January 2019, scientists returned 2,150 Galápagos land iguanas to Santiago Island from the overpopulated North Seymour Island. It was an effort to re-establish the animals in one of their native habitats—a place they haven’t been seen since the days of Charles Darwin. Read more → Atlas Obscura Trips Morocco: Mountains, Desert & Berber Culture Join us on an immersive, 11-day trip to Morocco next fall. Starting in Casablanca, we’ll venture deep into the mountains, through the vast Sahara, and beyond, visiting various Berber communities for days at a time. We’ll participate in local initiatives led by community members, sip countless cups of steaming mint tea—all while camping in the desert, soaking in steamy hammams, and riding a camel or two along the way. Learn more → BAKER, NEVADA The Bristlecone Pines of the Great Basin High elevations in a region of the Western United States known as the Great Basin are home to the bristlecone pines, a species of pine that’s been around for almost 5,000 years and is considered the longest living non-clonal organism on Earth. Read more → Community Fantastic Frescoes Visitors to the Abi Cathedral in France won’t need to get closer to notice the church’s 200,000 square foot masterpiece; the cathedral is home to one of the oldest and largest collections of Renaissance frescoes. From churches and chapels to ancient homes, the world is full of amazing frescoes like this that have survived the test of time. What are the most memorable ones you’ve discovered? Share now → NAFPLIO, GREECE People’s Assembly This former 18th-century mosque held the first Hellenic Parliament shortly after the Greeks won their independence from the Ottomans and operated as such until the Greek capital was moved to Athens in 1826. Read more → Sponsored by Icelandair North Iceland’s Untamed Coast Iceland’s appeal goes well beyond the well-worn paths of Reykjavik, the Golden Circle, and the southern region's countryside. Travel to the untamed north along the Arctic Coast Way to discover otherworldly beauty—sans crowds—around every bend. Read more → CENTRAL CITY, COLORADO Ghost Town Disc Golf A handful of buildings and mining relics are all that remains of the once-thriving mining town of Russell Gulch, Colorado. Today this town, located nearly two miles above sea level, is home to a very small population—and a disc golf course. Read more → Visit AtlasObscura.com · View in Browser · Unsubscribe · See All Newsletters 61 Greenpoint Ave #622, Brooklyn, NY 11222