Saudi Arabia on Edge

Tribal traditions and modern wealth clash in the birthplace of Islam—a kingdom in the political hot seat since 9/11.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

FORUM What do you see for the future of the U.S.-Saudi Arabia relationship? Enter>>

Kinkajous

Living on fruits and flowers, these rarely seen relatives of the raccoon prowl the high rain forest canopies of Central and South America.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of kinkajou range.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS They live in the dark rain forest canopy, use their tails like tools, and make sounds that elicit a chuckle from rare human listeners. Follow photographer Mattias Klum to search out "utterly charming" kinkajous.

WALLPAPER Invite this kinkajou to peek from the high canopy to your desktop.

Iraq's Antiquities War

When the spring offensive by U.S.-led forces ended, another battle began: the fight to preserve Iraq's ancient sites and artifacts from looters. A team of archaeologists races from Baghdad to Babylon to report from the field.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of Iraq's archaeological sites.

MULTIMEDIA VIDEO Listen to archaeologist Henry Wright talk about how important Iraq's ancient sites are to the rest of the world.

MULTIMEDIA VIDEO Hear photographers Steve McCurry and Randy Olson describe the perils of working in the danger zone.

ONLINE EXTRA Get an update on the looting of Iraq's antiquities.

FORUM Increased looting of Iraq's archaeological sites has reenergized the call to protect them. Yet the chaos and suffering brought on by the war has created urgent needs among the Iraqi people. How can those in charge prioritize these competing crises? Which is more important: priceless human history or immediate human need? Enter>>

FLASHBACKto 1933-34 when an ancient gypsum relief of a winged Assyrian god was excavated from the site of King Sargon II's palace.

Orangutans Hang Tough Revisiting Borneo, an anthropologist checks in with some old friends and worries about their future. FIELD DISPATCH Anthropologist Cheryl Knott answers your questions about Borneo's orangutans. POSTCARDS E-greet a friend with an image of a mother and baby orangutan swinging through the canopy of Borneo's Gunung Palung National Park

Maya Water World Divers and scientists probe Yucatán sinkholes, sacred to the Maya, where human sacrifices ensured cosmic order. MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of the Chicxulub meteorite crater and related features. MULTIMEDIA VIDEO Explorer and photographer Wes Skiles talks about the excitement and mystery of diving into the Yucatán's cenotes. FORUM How can anthropologists perform their research on ancient human remains and, at the same time, respect the traditions of descendants who believe the dead should not be disturbed? Enter>> Mongolian Crossing In a remote, mountainous corner of Asia, nomads still follow their herds on an arduous migration. If given the choice, will they take a new path? MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of the annual fall migration route to greener pastures. MULTIMEDIA VIDEO Listen to photographer Gordon Wiltsie's account of life on the migration trail. VIDEO Watch wrestlers compete in a premigration festival; loaded-down oxen moving along the route; horse racing; and daily life inside a ger, a traditional felt tent. FINAL EDIT Rescued from the cutting room floor is this month's Final Edit, an image of life inside the tent of Mongolian nomads, complete with TV. ZipUSA: 05641 Resting in peace, Barre, Vermont, is a little town with a reputation carved in stone. NOMINATE your own wonderful, weird, or wacky choices for this magazine series. Enter>>