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September 2022

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Features

King Arthur’s Great Halls

The Forever Legend

The story of Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable has captivated us for a thousand years. But was the heroic English monarch a real person? New research is reviving debate

OPENER-American Fossil Quarry

Treasures of Fossil Lake

In a forbidding Wyoming desert, scientists and fortune hunters search for the surprisingly intact remains of horses and other creatures that lived tens of millions of years ago

Two sites in Istria

Away to Istria

Journey to the coast of Croatia and encounter ancient mummies, Roman ruins, unique wines and a slightly lewd parrot

two-toed sloth

Creature Comfort

Blankets and bottle-feeding at a nursery for orphaned sloths in Costa Rica

An illustration of three silhouettes of US Navy Sailors

Half the Battle

The massive explosion at a Navy yard in California was the deadliest home-front disaster of the war. The aftershocks would help transform the armed forces and American society

Departments

Discussion

Your feedback on Ukraine's treasures, Mary Sears, and trains

The Spread of Learning

Smithsonian museums preserve and celebrate history. Yet they have histories of their own that help connect us with local communities and the world

Getting There

It’s as traditional as the ABCs. But the school bus has always been a vehicle for change

Heroes Behind the Wheel

When bus drivers come to the rescue

Ahead of the Curve

Six decades after she arrived on the art scene, Bridget Riley’s work still causes commotion

Gambling! Opium! Noodles!

The not entirely savory history of an Old West eatery that still draws a crowd

A Hairy Problem

Bison on a California island represent one of Hollywood’s weirdest legacies

Sculpting Dignity

Pioneering artist Elizabeth Catlett defied trends to honor the daily lives of her subjects

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