May/June 2019 Issue

AUSTRALIA: On the Dampier Archipelago off the northwest coast of Australia, there are an estimated 1 million Aboriginal petroglyphs. There are also some made by American whalers in the mid-19th century. The recently discovered engravings were left by crewmen from the ships Connecticut and Delta, who documented their journeys to the other side of the world. The inscriptions include the ships’ names, names of crewmen, sailing dates, and even a crudely drawn rope and anchor. They represent the earliest known evidence of American whalers in the area.

CHINA: A wealthy individual living 2,000 years ago in Henan Province was buried with an assortment of fine bronze, jade, and ceramic objects. Amid this trove was a jar containing a yellow liquid, which chemical analysis has revealed to be a mixture of potassium nitrate and alunite—and not rice wine as first thought. The minerals are the main ingredients of the legendary “elixir of immortality” mentioned in ancient Chinese texts. This potion was said to bring eternal life to whoever drank it, though, at least in this case, it doesn’t appear to have succeeded.

RUSSIA: Today, Zhokov Island lies more than 300 miles north of mainland Russia, far beyond the Arctic Circle. Around 9,000 years ago, though, when it was still attached to Siberia, the area was home to a surprisingly well-connected and mobile community. Obsidian tools discovered on the island came from a source more than 900 miles away. It is believed that Mesolithic Zhokovians traveled by dogsled to acquire the material, although it is unclear whether they trekked the entire way or met obsidian traders somewhere along the route.