This story appears in the November 2009 issue of National Geographic magazine ... feline—ancient cats that had been mummified and buried in pits in staggering numbers. "Not one or two here ...

This story appears in the February 2013 issue of National Geographic magazine ... satellites collect images that are used to identify buried landscapes with astonishing precision.

Since then, this image has run on the cover of National Geographic, appeared on posters ... shame and self-loathing to the mix. I ended up buried and choking to death all over again.

This story is part of a special National Geographic News series on global ... Now, it exists only as a meager flow through buried sewer-like pipes, as documented in this photo by Steve Duncan.