National Geographic History

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FROM THE EDITOR

National Geographic History

2,600-Year-Old Mint Was Earliest to Make Money • An ancient Chinese foundry, located in today’s Henan Province, was manufacturing bronze coins decades before other civilizations.

PAPER REVOLUTION

Ellen Craft, the Appearance of Freedom • Born into slavery, Ellen Craft and her husband, William, rejected that fate for their children. Escaping from Georgia to Pennsylvania, the couple used her white skin to hide in plain sight.

FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT OF 1850

Catfish of the Nile: Whiskered Icon of Egypt • At the dawn of ancient Egypt, the remarkable catfish occupied an important part in Egyptian cosmology. Its survival abilities became a symbol of both power and protection.

The Fork: A New Way to Set the Table • Introduced to Europe from medieval Byzantium, the fork was initially scorned as unnatural and pretentious. Only by the 1800s was its conquest of the dining room complete.

THE TINES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

Mixtec Masterpiece • A stunning pectoral, worn around the neck by a Mixtec dignitary, was one of more than 120 gold pieces found in a tomb in southern Mexico’s ancient city of Monte Albán. The figure’s complexity has led to several different symbolic interpretations.

ICONS OF THE STONE AGE • Made from stone, bone, and ivory, more than 200 Paleolithic figurines of female figures have intrigued and mystified scholars for more than a century. Theories abound as to their true purpose, but hard answers are elusive.

ART IN A COLD CLIMATE

NEFERTITI ARTISTIC ICON, ENDURING ENIGMA • A pharaoh’s queen, a mother, a widow, a timeless Egyptian beauty: Nefertiti was all of these and so much more.

Backer of the Expedition

THE QUEEN’S MANY FACES

THE BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE • Led by King Leonidas, 300 Spartan warriors and other Greek troops blocked a mighty invading Persian army. The episode has become an iconic testament to valor in the face of hopeless odds—and one of history’s most famous last stands.

NEVER SURRENDER

TREASURES OF THE WARI • Between a.d. 700 and 1000, the Wari ruled the coastal highlands of modern-day Peru. Many of their royal tombs had been looted over the centuries, but one intact tomb was found. Holding the body of a queen, the grave at El Castillo de Huarmey revealed the rich culture of the Wari people.

FACE FROM THE PAST

BURIAL OF A QUEEN

MONUMENT TO LOVE TAJ MAHAL • Early in the 17th century, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had a magnificent mausoleum built in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. A paragon of Indian architecture, it has become a romantic icon.

MARVEL OF MUGHAL ARTISTRY

Ancient Iran’s Mysterious Bronzes • In the 1930s ancient artifacts recovered in the mountains of Luristan wowed archaeologists but spawned many questions about their origins.

Beautiful Bronzes • The exquisite metalwork displayed in the Luristan bronzes is reflected in the intricate details and fascinating subjects of each piece.