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FROM THE EDITOR

National Geographic History

Indigenous Australian Past Found Underwater • First proof that such sites exist is expected to spur further research on Australia’s continental shelf, opening up a new watery frontier.

Jugurtha, the King Who Bought Rome • Bribery, murder, and brilliant strategy tightened Jugurtha’s grip on his North African kingdom, drawing Rome into an extended conflict that weakened the foundations at home.

The King’s Ivory: Benin Saltcellar • The powerful king, or oba, of Benin granted Portuguese traders special access to the artistry of the ivory saltcellars created by the craftsmen of his court.

Roller-Skating: A Skate for All Seasons • Ice-skating had long been a winter pastime, but the invention of roller skates created a craze that could last all year long.

JIROFT UNCOVERING IRAN’S LOST CIVILIZATION • In 2001 on a remote plain in southeastern Iran, a flash flood exposed the remains of an undiscovered civilization buried for more than 4,000 years. Scholars are still working to identify this mysterious culture that flourished in the Bronze Age alongside those of ancient Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley.

SIGNS AND SYMBOLS

ACHILLES AGAINST HECTOR • The battle between the Greek hero Achilles and the Trojan prince Hector is the climax of the Bronze Age war epic, but what they carried and what they wore were just as central to the drama as the fighting itself.

THE GOLDEN SHIELD

ROMAN ROADS • Rome has been called the Eternal City, but just as long-lasting is a vast network of roads built during the republic and empire. Easing the movement of armies and goods, these roads connected all corners of the Roman world, and many provided the foundation for highways and byways still used today.

LIFE ALONG THE ROAD

A DRUG THAT DEFEATED CHINA • In the 19th century two wars with European nations humbled China, forcing it to open its borders to the scourge of opium and to cede the island of Hong Kong to Britain, the victorious enemy.

INDIA’S GREAT OPIUM FACTORY

CHINA’S IRON NEMESIS

HONG KONG RETURNS

NAPOLEON IN EGYPT • Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign might have been a military failure, but it was a victory for history. French scholars sent to study Egypt were captivated by its rich culture and kicked off a period of “Egyptomania” in Europe.

SEE, SKETCH, EXPLORE

The Frozen Kurgans of Pazyryk • The permafrost of the Siberian steppe trapped ancient Scythian tombs in an icy time warp. Unearthed by Soviet teams in the early 20th century, the burial mounds of the Pazyryk Valley yielded a frozen trove of well-preserved mummies and artifacts.

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