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May 2019

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Features

Hominin model Neanderthal Museum

The Cave Man Cometh

Revolutionary discoveries in archaeology show that Neanderthals, long maligned as knuckle-dragging brutes, deserve a new place in the human story

Qumangapik

At the Edge of the Ice

Deep inside the Arctic Circle, Inuit hunters embrace modern technology but preserve a traditional way of life

Marsili family

A Mystery in the Family

Genetic detectives take on the singular case of an Italian clan whose members feel almost no pain

Hobo King Dutch

The Last of the Great American Hobos

Hop a train to Iowa, where proud vagabonds gather every summer to crown the new king and queen of the rails

Chinese railway laborers

The Longest Hop

The true story of the railroad that spanned the nation

Departments

Discussion

Readers respond to our April issue

Prologue

Buzz Words

Even in the age of autofill, America is still in love with the centuries-old spelling bee

Prologue

Torch Song

A new museum sheds light on America's quintessential statue

Prologue

Get Thee to a Monastery!

In a German forest, artisans fleeing modernity build a time machine to the ninth century

Prologue

Seeing Red

How scientists are recapturing the magic of a beloved, long-lost tomato

Prologue

Catching Cooties

Why a 100-year-old game is still spreading across our playgrounds

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