The Masked Man
A history of masks reveals how humans have used them to hide, disguise, transform, and protect themselves.
Stephen E. Nash
Stephen E. Nash is a historian of science and an archaeologist at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He studies a wide range of subjects, including dendrochronology (tree-ring dating), the history of museums, the archaeology of west-central New Mexico, and Russian gem-carving sculptures by Vasily Konovalenko. Nash has published numerous books, most recently Stories in Stone: The Enchanted Gem-Carving Sculptures of Vasily Konovalenko and An Anthropologist’s Arrival: A Memoir. He lives in Denver with his wife and three boys. Follow him on Twitter @nash_dr.
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The Scientific Sorcery of Radiocarbon Dating
An archaeologist explains why figuring out an object's age is harder than you think.
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Why We Buy Weird Things in Times of Crisis
With COVID-19 making its way around the United States, people are emptying stores of toilet paper. Archaeology throws a light on other bouts of odd consumer behavior.
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What Modern Extremes Taught Me About Noise in the Ancient World
After floating in a sensory deprivation tank and visiting Dave & Buster's, one anthropologist ponders our ancient ancestors' soundscapes.
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A Tale of Two Ruins
New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon showcases magnificent structures that were built on ingenuity. By contrast, the state’s Rio Rancho Estates was built on fraud.
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What Do Monuments Reveal About Their Makers?
An archaeologist ponders memorials—from the Monti gate to the Taj Mahal—and finds clues about the reasons people want to be remembered.