History

a picturesque pillar of rock below a partly cloudy sky

Earliest-Known Rock Climb Stood Unrepeated for Centuries

If people rock climbed before 1492, the evidence is...
July 3, 2024
two photos of the south face of Pisco with climbing lines marked

The Pisco Controversy: New Route or Variation?

Last week, Spanish climbers Eneko and Iker Pou announced...
July 1, 2024
A woodcut of a wheel supported by many axes, all interconnected.

Johann Bessler and The Greatest Physics Fraud in History

In 1745, gravity finally caught up to the inventor...
June 25, 2024
an old map and compass

Old Maps Online: A Gateway to Hours of Historical Exploration

History and geography already make excellent bedfellows, but OldMapsOnline.org...
June 24, 2024
Jim Bridger superimposed over a geyser

Great Explorers: Jim Bridger

Here's a recipe. Take one part larger-than-life figure, add...
June 17, 2024
Sea Peoples

Exploration Mysteries: The Sea Peoples

Black-flagged ships sailed up the Nile, bringing mysterious seafarers...
June 3, 2024
Australian landcape

Mapping Human Migration Across Australia’s Lost ‘Atlantis’

Given Australia's gigantic scale and wild nature, archaeological research...
May 12, 2024
Mt. Everest

Climbing Legend? You Still Have to Do Paperwork

"You've got to be joking." That's what Doug Scott scrawled...
May 1, 2024
The south face of Dhaulagiri I, viewed from Poon Hill at sunrise.

The South Face of Dhaulagiri I: One Of the Himalaya’s Last Great Challenges

The 4,100m South Face of Dhaulagiri I has stymied...
May 1, 2024
painting showing the fall of the Alamo

Great Explorers: Davy Crockett

“Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier…Davy, Davy...
April 29, 2024
Photo of Mallory's last letter and his portrait.

Last Letters of George Mallory Now Online

The international team that discovered George Mallory's body on...
April 25, 2024
an illustration of David Douglas

Great Explorers: David Douglas, the Accident-Prone Botanist

If you’ve bought a Christmas tree in the last...
April 22, 2024
Everest north side as seen from Rongbuk.

Everest Super Direct: The Japanese and Hornbein Couloirs

Two legendary Americans deviating from the normal route, two...
April 14, 2024
illustration of Zheng Yi Sao

Great Explorers: Zheng Yi Sao

In the early 1800s, Zheng Yi Sao was the...
March 22, 2024
The old leather boot on a stone in Base Camp.

Gunther Messner’s Second Boot Returns to Reinhold

Reinhold Messner has finally received the second boot of...
March 22, 2024
a shipwreck covered with marine life

All Sides Battle Over $17 Billion Shipwreck

There might not exist a more highly coveted shipwreck...
March 18, 2024
painting of Stewart and Indians

Great Explorers: William Drummond Stewart

William Drummond Stewart did not conquer lands of the...
March 6, 2024
two climbers squatting on the top completely covered in down suits and face masks.

Winter Nanga Parbat: Bittersweet Anniversary

Eight years ago today, Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Alex Txikon,...
February 26, 2024
close shot of the sole of Mallory's boot.

1924 Everest Anniversary Reignites Rumors: Did the Chinese Remove Irvine’s Body?

A hundred years ago this spring, George Mallory and...
February 23, 2024
Wanda Rutkiewicz.

Where The Caravan of Dreams Stopped: Kangchenjunga 1992

In 1992, Wanda Rutkiewicz, one of history's best female...
February 14, 2024
K2 under the moonlight.

Flashback: The 48 Hours of Drama on Winter K2

Feb. 6, 2021 dawned with a sense of anguish...
February 6, 2024
A ice-age baton perhaps for making rope

Purpose of Mysterious Ice Age Tool Revealed

A few years ago, archaeologists working in Hohle Fels...
February 4, 2024
sonar image of what could be a plane

Sonar Image Could Be Amelia Earhart’s Missing Plane

A company specializing in underwater exploration believes they may...
February 1, 2024
a split screen photo, on one side hand digging out a necklace, on the other, some ancient jewels.

Huge Treasure Trove Unearthed at Temple to Artemis

A lot of archeology is a dry, boring slog,...
January 30, 2024

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