Ancient Khmer Continuity in Modern Cambodia
November 19, 2024
The Khmer Rouge tried to stamp out religion in the late 1970s. Monks were forced to disrobe, pick up hoes, and labor in rice
The Buddha’s Footprints in Bangkok’s Wat Pho; Prettier than Zeus and Indra Combined
November 13, 2024
Greek gods and Indian concepts of the universe’s vastness never cease to wow, but- -a look at the Buddha’s footprints in Wat Pho reveals
The Yungang Caves in Chinese Culture; A Major Crossroads through Time and Space
October 20, 2024
After China’s Han dynasty disintegrated in the early third century CE, a succession of warlords became emperor wannabes, but their rules were short lived. Turkic-speaking
The Rise of Nanjing and its Modern Rebirth
October 14, 2024
A lot of people have heard of Nanjing because of the massacre in 1937-8. But the city has a rich history that goes back
Multiple Worlds in the Way; Roman Roots of Christianity
October 7, 2024
Many people in the Roman Empire by first century CE were looking to metaphysical realms for meaning and well-being. Its magnificent forums left a lot
Medieval Roots in Ancient Rome
October 1, 2024
She can be sweet or cruel depending on her mood. That’s a pretty capricious goddess to place in the center of the universe, but this
Ambiguities of Empire; Ancient Romans’ Mixed Feelings about Glory
September 23, 2024
Most ancient Greeks saw the world in ways that reflected their intimate city-states. Most of their views were human-scale and proportioned. Romans in their early
Cambodian Cultural Wealth Most People Don’t Know About
September 9, 2024
Cambodia has so many ancient Khmer temples and so much natural beauty that they will always give you new things to see. But it also has
Ordering the Universe in Dramatic Fashion at an Ancient Khmer Temple
September 5, 2024
The Khmers knew how to start with a big bang. The temple on Phnom Krom was built by an early Khmer king, Yasovarman I or
Multicultural Blends in a Muslim Village in Yunnan
September 3, 2024
Yunnan’s Erhai Lake has been multicultural for centuries. It was the center of the fabled Nan Chao kingdom, which presided over much of northern