matthewtaub's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

matthewtaub

Contributing Writer, formerly Editorial Fellow. Still aspiring Jolly Good Fellow. Say hi: matthewtaubwrites@gmail.com @mjtaub1 (Twitter/Instagram)

https://twitter.com/mjtaub1

2018
joined atlas
obscura

countries
I've visited

places
I've been

places
I want to go

places
published

foods
I want to try

A Hunter-Gatherer Ate an Entire Rattlesnake and We Have the Poop to Prove It

"We know that the person must have lived to the point of defecation."

Nelson Mandela's Prison Cell, Through His Eyes

The drawing is one of more than 20 original artworks by the Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

What Ancient Pee Can Teach Us About the Rise of Agriculture

A conspicuous rise in urine suggests that the Neolithic Revolution took place beyond the Fertile Crescent.

Stone Age Tombs Were Family Affairs

New research examines the connections between people buried at mysterious megaliths.

Look Inside a Precious Passover Haggadah From Medieval Italy

It's on public view for the first time since 1900.

Found: A Gold Coin From Britain's Roman Revolt

Allectus only reigned for three years, but here he is, nearly two millennia later.

See the Lone Survivor of Coca-Cola's Prototype Bottles

It had eluded even the most dedicated bottle treasure hunters.

Found: A Seal That May Have Belonged to a Biblical Courtier

If you know of another Nathan-Melech, this is your chance to speak up.

Found: A Lost Charter Issued by King John More Than 800 Years Ago

Is there nothing that libraries can't do?

See the Aftermath of a Fireball Meteor Exploding Above the Clouds

Just 33 feet wide, with the power of 10 atomic bombs.

For Sale: A Penny That Stopped a Bullet and Saved a Life

It's not the only everyday object to have done so on the battlefield.

It's Official, This Is the Oldest Known Mariner's Astrolabe in the World

More than 500 years old, it was found with the oldest ship's bell.

Pig Remains Show How Far Prehistoric People Traveled to Visit Stonehenge

Epic Neolithic feasts drew crowds from opposite ends of Britain.

For Sale: A POW Journal Documenting World War II's 'Great Escape'

A look inside the mind of a legendary plot.

Science Finds the Cross-Continental Origins of Beer Yeast

Ales and lagers have ancestry in both Europe and Asia.

For Sale: Gold From One of the Worst Shipwrecks in U.S. History

Much of the cargo is still missing, but for different reasons.

Found: The Oldest Tattoo Needles in Western North America

They could sharpen our understanding of Pueblo prehistory.

February 28, 2019

Found: A Giant Sloth Tooth in a 200-Foot-Deep Sinkhole

The bone helps to explain how the creature stuck around for more than 10,000 years.

February 27, 2019

What Poop Can Teach Us About an Ancient City's Downfall

Cahokia's decline is at least partially a story of climate change.

February 25, 2019

For Sale: Original Poetry, Handwritten by Bonnie and Clyde

The outlaw lovers had some literary tendencies.

February 22, 2019

What's the Weather Like on Mars?

A new NASA robot is braving extreme temperatures to learn about the Red Planet.

February 20, 2019

Inside the Belgian Library That Tore Itself Apart

In the 1960s, a conflict between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking students divided a historic collection.

February 14, 2019

Sold: A Stuffed Whale Penis for $6,000

February 13, 2019

Found: Shipwrecks, Helmets, and Clues From an Ancient Roman Naval Battle

Researchers are using conflicting pieces to puzzle out what happened in 241 BC.

February 11, 2019