Nov 2021 - 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

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Location: Lighthouse of Alexandria

1. Those 15 grid patterns look an awful lot like crosswords… what’s the deal with the emoji, and what might they have to do with the theme?
2. The two emoji represent the words “light” and “house,” respectively.
3. Each pair of clues hints toward two words that end in “light” and “house.” For example, the first pair clue to LIMELIGHT and FARMHOUSE.
4. A few pairs may be able to fit into more than one grid section, but only one permutation will work.
5. Now we have to extract letters for the solution. And there are exactly 15 spaces… which letters seem notable
6. SMOKE AND MIRRORS

THE MAUSOLEUM AT HALICARNASSUS

1. Many of the names in the puzzle seem very strange and specific. They’re all real people — what might they have in common with Mausolus?
2. Every person in the puzzle is a noteworthy eponym — they’ve lent their names to various words, which are clued below the mausoleums. Many of the clues are rather cryptic; it’s probably easier to focus first on the names and brainstorm probable namesakes for them, and then see which clues might match. (We have more hints if you need help, but remember that you’re also allowed to look things up if you need to!)
3. Most of the words and terms are derived from last names, but two are based on first names and one on a middle name.
4. Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī was a mathematician, Elbridge Gerry was a politician, Axel Paulsen was a figure skater, Alfredo di Lelio was a chef, Daniel Elmer Salmon was a veterinarian, Sylvester Graham was a dietary reformer, and Leonhart Fuchs was a botanist.
5. The namesakes are ALFREDO SAUCE, AXEL, ALGORITHM, BOYCOTT, DUNCE, FERRIS WHEEL, FUCHSIA, GERRYMANDERING, GUILLOTINE, GRAHAM CRACKER, LEOTARD, NICOTINE, PETRI DISH, SAXOPHONE, SALMONELLA, SIDEBURNS, SILHOUETTE, SHRAPNEL, and ZEPPELIN. You’ll have an easier time matching them to the clues, but have you figured out what the arrows mean?
6. COFFIN

THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS

1. The answer to the first clue is already filled in — ANCESTOR. Each set of four clues correspond to the four rings in an archery target, and the answer to every clue is eight letters.
2. Have you finished most or all of a target yet? Notice anything peculiar in it?
3. When a set of words is written into a target, a nearly complete nine-letter word is revealed across it. For example, the first target spells out ACRO_OLIS, with ANCESTOR, CARDINAL, REVOLVER, and OXYMORON encircling the bull’s-eye.
4. In alphabetical order, the answers for the remaining five targets are ASTEROID, ATTORNEY, BARITONE, CALCULUS, DIAMETER, ELEMENTS, ETERNITY, EXERCISE, FRIENDLY, GAUNTLET, HEADLESS, INFRARED, LOLLIPOP, MILKYWAY, NARRATOR, PLATYPUS, ROMANTIC, SHIPYARD, TORTOISE, and YOUNGEST.
5. In alphabetical order, the revealed words across each target are ACROPOLIS, BRILLIANT, DEFERENCE, MYTHOLOGY, PAGEANTRY, and SANCTUARY. Where’s the six-letter answer hiding?
6. PATROL

THE STATUE OF ZEUS

1. First of all, don’t worry about the letters until you solve the nonogram. (Also, note to GC: It might be useful to have colored highlighters handy — preferably yellow — so it’s easier to fill in the puzzle without covering up the letters.)
2. The first step for any nonogram is to take a look at rows and columns with large numbers. For example, in a 15x15 nonogram like this one, the first row labeled “8” must have the middle box filled in — consider where a group of 8 boxes must overlap whether it starts all the way to the left or all the way to the right. Make sure you note when rows or columns are complete, and work step by step to fill it in!
3. Don’t be surprised if the completed nonogram looks strange; that’s intentional. It should reveal a lightning bolt alongside a seemingly random array of squares. What could those squares mean?
4. If you can’t quite figure out what to do with the random squares, then make sure to look back for messages in the completed puzzle. Where might one be hiding?
5. The letters in the lightning bolt reveal a message when read backwards row by row: IF YOU WISH TO LEARN THE POWER OF ZEUS KING OF THE GODS TRANSLATE THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PUZZLE TO MORSE CODE. (The random array of squares read the same way also says ““HI THIS IS THE MORSE CODE STOP.” You can ignore the blank squares, which simply convey a message that you can ignore the blank squares.)
6. MIGHTY

THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES

1. Finding the right ship for each word might be easier if you split the word bank in two — one half with T’s, one half without, for example, and see if the groups match up with an attribute.
2. Some words, like ELEPHANTINE, LEVIATHAN, and TITANIC, have matching sets of overlapping letters (in this case, IANT), so their corresponding ships look similar. However, they’re never the same length — each ship is totally unique.
3. All ships with G’s have two masts. All ships with I’s carry cargo. All ships with A’s face west. All ships with N’s have oars. All ships with T’s are west of the Colossus.
4. You’ve identified each of the ships, but now what? Maybe you should check with the sailors on board.
5. Each sailor on each ship is standing directly above a specific letter. Reading across row by row, the letters spell FOURTH LETTERS DARK SAILS
6. HEROIC

Meta:THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA

1. You might have noticed that the central shape can fold into a pyramid. You don't have to cut it out and fold it to solve the puzzle, but it's fun!
2. Each of the animal hieroglyphs correspond to a letter from one of the six-letter answers to the four main puzzles. Clearly, you put the letters into the pyramid, but is there anything indicating how you should read it?
3. FACT FROM HIEROGLYPHION

Bonus: THE HANGING GARDENS

1. The words ROSE, DATE, and PEAR sit in the three top terraces.
2. Some of the trickier clued words include ARAL, AIDA, BALI, ENYA, INCA, LOCH, and NERO.
3. The clued words are INCA, NERO, RUBY, THRU, ARAL, BALI, DATE, SHIN, ALTO, SETH, CAPE, TEEN, PEAR, ENYA, CHAI, YANG, ROSE, TOOT, AIDA, LOCH, and LINE.
4. BABYLONGSHOT