The Hard and Human Sides of Ancient Roman Glory
July 30, 2024
Rome started as an undistinguished looking city, but events began to happen on a larger scale in the third century BCE, when Qin Shihuang built
The Humble Roots of Ancient Roman Glory
July 27, 2024
The development of ancient Rome forms an interesting contrast with China. The last two articles explored what was happening in the Roman Empire’s eastern counterpart
Light and Dark Sides of the Chinese Terra-cotta Army’s World
July 24, 2024
Although Qin Shihuang’s tomb is probably the largest that anyone in the world has ever constructed, he did a lot of other building while unifying
Inside the Terra-cotta Army’s Heads; The World of the Qin Dynasty
July 22, 2024
This applicant for a job in the terra-cotta army was turned down. He now works as a writer. The terra-cotta warriors get lots of
The Temple of Hatshepsut; Setting Aesthetic and Political Standards for Egypt’s New Kingdom
July 16, 2024
Egyptians transferred their energies from pyramid building to temple construction during the New Kingdom (1550–1070/69 BCE). They erected temples that rivaled Giza’s magnificence, and they
Keeping Things in Order the Thai Way; It’s Not Ancient Greece
July 11, 2024
The historic northern Thai town of Chiang Saen is full of ancient Buddhist monuments, but Wat Phra That Chedi Luang is its main shrine. People from all walks of life still pay their respects
Origins of Thai Culture Are More Multidimensional than Most People Think
July 5, 2024
Most historians think Thais originated in southern China. Tais (Tai is the spelling of the diaspora of ethnic groups who speak the same family
How the Colonization Movement Helped to Shape Ancient Greek Thought
July 2, 2024
Greeks began to form colonies in the eighth century BCE. This movement, in which people loaded their belongings onto ships and ventured out to sea
Some Things in Thailand that Seem Ugly Are Actually Beautiful
July 1, 2024
Many historic temples grace the northern Thai town of Nan, so I spent several days there. Wat Ming Muang was low on my list because