A walrus obsession caused the downfall of Greenland Vikings

The war of the wasps, ash that stays forever, and more. Email not displaying correctly? View in your browser. January 20, 2020 Nordic Walrus Hunting A new study suggests that the insatiable Norse demand for ivory is what may have done the Greenland Vikings in. Read More → War of the Wasps To save Hawai'i’s native wiliwili trees from being destroyed by a tiny invasive wasp, the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture unleashed a different wasp. But when that didn’t finish the job, they found a new solution. Spoiler: It’s another wasp. Read more → Forever Ash Following an eruption, the area around the Taal volcano, which sits south of Manila on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines, transformed into a monochromatic, ash-covered world. Some of it will eventually blow or wash away, but other ash will stick around “pretty much forever.” Read more → Atlas Obscura Trips Shifting Tides: Art in New Orleans New Orleans is in the midst of a renaissance and now is the time to experience it. This March, we’re meeting the locals who are breathing new life into their city. See historic landmarks and new spaces for art, food, and music. Learn more → Mexico City, Mexico Temple Ehécatl This Aztec structure remained hidden until the demolition of a supermarket exposed the lost temple. Read more → From the archives Artificial Islands Lochs across Scotland are speckled with small, flat islets, known as crannogs. By radiocarbon dating pottery found nearby, researchers recently discovered the landmasses were handmade around the Neolithic period—but why? Read more → London, England Urine Deflectors Just off of London’s famous Fleet Street, Clifford's Inn Passage is a shadowy alleyway filled with various bars. In the 19th century, drinkers would drunkenly stagger there for a pee. To prevent urine from corroding the brick walls, deflectors were installed and remain to this day. Read more → Sponsored by Discover Atlanta Madam C.J. Walker Museum & WERD Radio The legacies of two historic African-American institutions live on in this unassuming brick building including a museum dedicated to Madam C.J. Walker, her beauty salons and WERD, a radio station that offered a platform for jazz and blues musicians as well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Sunday sermons. Read more → Visit AtlasObscura.com · View in Browser · Unsubscribe · See All Newsletters 61 Greenpoint Ave #622, Brooklyn, NY 11222