14 Jul 2017 Was Tutankhamun’s Coronation Delayed? Making sense of the Ascendance of Pharaoh Aye By anand balaji History & Tradition 0 One of ancient Egypt’s best-kept secrets is the identity of the mysterious Amarna Period royal, Smenkhkare. Who, after all, was he or she? Scholars have offered a bouquet of possible candidates ranging from Akhenaten’s putative younger brother,... Read More
10 Jul 2017 Ferocious Beast-Head Masks, Heavy Robes & Swirling Colors: What are the Unspoken Messages in Ancient Chinese Opera? By MartiniF History & Tradition 0 In “Civilization of China” (1911), Herbert Giles wrote that “for pleasure pure and simple, independent of gains and losses, the theater occupies the warmest place in every Chinaman's heart”. The fact that the Chinese theater is also known... Read More
07 Jul 2017 Akhenaten: Imperishable Art of an Iconoclast: Age of Extravagance in Amarna—Part II By anand balaji History & Tradition 0 The monuments Akhenaten constructed were no less impressive than those of his father, Amenhotep III. But all his buildings were dismantled and destroyed during the Amarna backlash—including the city of Akhetaten, which vanished beneath the desert... Read More
05 Jul 2017 Akhenaten: Imperishable Art of an Iconoclast: Creativity Blossoms in the Desert—Part I By anand balaji History & Tradition 0 Never before had a pharaoh ushered daring, almost bizarre and inconceivable transformations in religion and statecraft as Akhenaten did. Not only did he oust the pantheon of traditional gods and shift the royal capital from Thebes to Akhetaten down... Read More
03 Jul 2017 Witch of Eye Burned Alive at the Stake: Did She Use Black Magic to Bewitch a King in a Game of Thrones-Style Plot? By Charles Christian History & Tradition 0 For over 900 years, people have been telling stories of wicked witches who have used Black Magic to overthrow kings. Morgan Le Fay in Arthurian legends of the early 12th century is thought to have inspired Melisandre in George R.R. Martin’s Game... Read More