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Extraordinary people, discoveries, and places

PHOTOGRAPH BY OSCAR NILSSON

This man lived during the last gasps of the Roman Empire

His name was Adelasius Ebalchus— a decidedly Latin name for a man who lived in Switzerland around 700 A.D. Here's what we know about him—and what was so unusual about his remains.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ISABELLE RIBOT

DNA from West Africa raises more questions than answers about human ancestry

Tens of thousands of years ago, humans sought refuge in what's now Cameroon. We know they crafted tools, gathered plants, and eventually buried their dead. But the precise identity of the people of Shum Laka has long been a mystery. Their DNA only deepened it.

WHO WHERE THEY?

PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNIFER HAYES AND DAVID DOUBILET

Meet the creatures of the night sea

In the darkness of the open water, these photographers capture rarely seen creatures dancing along the ocean current. "You rarely run into something that doesn't fascinate you."

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

PHOTOGRAPH FROM BETTMAN, CORBIS VIA GETTY

Why haven't we found Christopher Columbus's ships?

While generations of schoolchildren have sung of the adventures of the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, the remains of that history-making First Fleet remain undiscovered, despite decades of dedicated searching by archaeologists and shipwreck hunters alike.

THE MISSING SHIPS

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL S. QUINTON, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

How little seeds shaped human history in big ways

They were key in the fall of the Roman Empire and the French Revolution—and had a starring role in the most famous assassination of the Cold War. Here, a look at how seeds changed the course of history many times over.

ORONOZ/ALBUM

What this 2,400-year-old statue reveals about ancient Spain

Known today as the Lady of Baza, this four-foot-high limestone sculpture depicts a bejeweled woman, richly dressed and seated on a winged throne.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

QUOTE

It's a search veritably for three needles in a haystack.

James Delgado, Search Inc.

From:Why haven't we found Christopher Columbus's ships?

PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURENT BALLESTA, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The primitive, deep-sea fish that keep surprising scientists

They were once thought to have died out with the dinosaurs. But a recent study shows that coelacanths can live five times longer than anyone thought—and don't reach adulthood for 55 years.

MORE GREAT READS

Why is every young person in America watching 'The Sopranos'? (New York Times) ››

How radioactivity unlocked deep time (BBC) ››

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