archaeology This 2,500-year-old Chinese sword looks like "something from the J.R.R. Tolkien universe that has entered the actual historical record" Ellsworth Toohey

History In 1911, one man launched an ambitious project to photograph humanity before modernization changed it forever Ellsworth Toohey

crime American tourist arrested for scratching family names into sacred Japanese shrine as a "prank" Mark Frauenfelder

canada Canadian teenager carves name into Japanese treasure: faces severe penalties Mark Frauenfelder

Culture Creative industry workers suffer the most stolen wages, according to UNESCO Thom Dunn

ireland The traditional music of the world would die without risk-takers like Martin Hayes Séamus Bellamy

top talent Indigenous dancer gives stunning twist to viral Kendrick Lamar dance challenge Jennifer Sandlin

gadgets Make computing personal again Rob Beschizza

politics Alt National Park Service has a message for DOGE leaders Jennifer Sandlin

italy Italian authorities seeking woman who "mimicked sex" with Bacchus statue in photos Allan Rose Hill

Idiot tourist carved his name into an ancient Pompeii house Allan Rose Hill

Extraterrestrials Ancient statue of extraterrestrial was unfortunately neither David Pescovitz

france France now has baguette-scented baguette postage stamps Rusty Blazenhoff

music Chechnya bans fast and slow music, including Russian nat'l anthem Natalie Dressed

olympics French waiters have their own Olympics! Natalie Dressed

History University offering master's degree in magick and the occult David Pescovitz

treasure hunting Person with metal detector finds stash of 1,500-year-old gold jewelry David Pescovitz

flags Here is the 2023 "Best Countries" list from US News and World Report David Pescovitz

History Demoscene wins UNESCO cultural heritage recognition in Netherlands Rob Beschizza

dalai lama Podcast explores the "Dalai Lama Spectacle" Jennifer Sandlin