Around the World March 1, 2011
VIRGINIA: An encrypted message in a bottle dating to the Civil War has been removed and deciphered by codebreakers. "You can expect no help from this side of the river," began the unsigned message, which is in a museum collection. It was meant for Confederate Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, in response to his request for aid during the Siege of Vicksburg in Mississippi. But the note never reached his hands—it was dated July 4, 1863, the date he surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant.
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2018
Letter from Virginia July/August 2015
Excavations are providing a new look at some of the Civil War’s earliest fugitive slaves—considered war goods or contraband—and their first taste of liberty
Digs & Discoveries November/December 2022
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2022
Features July/August 2025
Why did a Renaissance duke fill his wooded park with gargantuan stone sculptures?
Features July/August 2025
Vikings staged elaborate spectacles to usher their rulers into the afterlife
Features May/June 2025
Archaeologists rediscover Ichijodani, a formidable stronghold that flourished amid medieval Japan’s brutal power struggles
Features May/June 2025
Exploring the surprisingly rich archaeological record of berries, melons…and more
Features March/April 2025
By removing centuries of soot, researchers have uncovered the stunning decoration of a sanctuary dedicated to the heavens
