8 PROFILES
Ellen Craft and her husband’s
daring escape from slavery
happened in broad daylight, thanks to her
ability to disguise herself—as a white man.12 NATURAL HISTORY
The humble catfish was revered
by Egypt’s earliest pharaohs, who
aligned themselves with this creature who
embodied survival, strength, and new life.14 INVENTIONS
It took centuries for forks to
find their place at the table.
Medieval diners thought them pretentious, but
forks became common by the 19th century.16 WORK OF ART
Who wore the golden pectoral of
Monte Albán is hotly debated. Its
Mixtec iconography has led scholars to
differing identifications of its original owner.92 DISCOVERIES
Archaeologists flew an airplane over
1930s Iran to locate the source of
intricately crafted ancient bronzes. They
found it in Luristan where many more Iron
Age artifacts were unearthed.18 Stone Age Venuses
As Europe shivered through the Ice Age, artisans carved tiny figurines of
women. Initially dubbed “Venuses” by the scholars who uncovered them,
the artworks’ function is still being debated.
32 The Power of Nefertiti
Great royal wife to the pharaoh Akhenaten, Nefertiti has long been
celebrated as a beauty icon, but today’s Egyptologists are exploring
another dimension of her life—her role as a powerbroker.
48 Battle of Thermopylae
On a summer morning in 480 b.c., an elite band of Spartans stood firm
before the mighty Persian army, enabling their allies to escape. All were
hacked down in an act of heroism that has echoed down the ages.62 Peru’s Royal Time Capsule
Inside an intact tomb at El Castillo de Huarmey,
Peru, archaeologists found a queenly burial
brimming with treasures from the mysterious
Wari empire that ruled 1,200 years ago.
76 Romance of the Taj Mahal
Grieving his dear wife Mumtaz Mahal, Mughal ruler
Shah Jahan built her a magnificent white marble
mausoleum. Completed in the 1600s, India’s Taj
Mahal is one of the world’s most beloved sites.Features DepartmentsVOL. 7 NO. 6GRAVE BEAUTY
The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, houses
the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and her
husband, the powerful Mughal emperor,
Shah Jahan.SEATED WARI LORD. CA 800 A.D., EL CASTILLO DE HUARMEY, PERU