24 Solar Terms: How did ancient Chinese ...

Why has the snake, often feared, been revered in Chinese culture and become one of the 12 zodiac animals? How is it portrayed in artifacts, and what does it symbolize in China compared to other cultures? In this episode, we explore the serpent's evolving meanings in Chinese civil ... Show More

Like the finest wines, the best inspiration for poetry is brewed and vivified, if served in the right vessel. In this episode, we present a phoenix-headed tricolor ceramic wine vessel from the Tang Dynasty, some 1200 years ago. In what ways did it influence the development of Chi ... Show More

How did the water dropper help artists enter the right creative mindset for traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting using the color of black only? In this episode, we present the "Yandi" from the Yuan Dynasty about 900 years ago. How did Chinese green ware gain world recogni ... Show More

In Turkey, a set of prehistoric columns rivals Stonehenge -- but they're 6,000 years older. Learn what we know (and don't know) about the hunter-gatherers who built Göbekli Tepe in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/european-histo ... Show More

A forgotten heir; a Great Sphinx. Following the death of King Khufu, the throne passed to one of his sons, Djed-ef-Ra. Then, it passed to Khafra ("He Appears Like Ra"). These kings are important, but only Khafra is remembered thanks to his enormous pyramid and the Great Sphinx of ... Show More

Anubis is a common feature of Ancient Egyptian art, but rarely appears in their mythology. Today, we tell his story through one of the most fascinating elements of Egyptian culture: mummification. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

Magic and Prophecy. In this mini episode, we recount stories that the Egyptians told. Stories set in the reign of Khufu and his father Sneferu. Date c.2620 - 2550 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a o ... Show More

You’re walking through the mall or driving down the street, and there it is again: a pastel-colored poster featuring a leaping dancer. It reads: Shen Yun, China Before Communism. What even IS this lavish dance show whose advertisements haunt all our towns? Is it a religion? A pol ... Show More

More than 3,500 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption devastated Thera - modern day Santorini - engulfing the Bronze Age world in ash and fire. Entire landscapes were buried, ash darkened the skies, and the shockwaves rippled across the eastern Mediterranean.In this episode of T ... Show More

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Jun 4, 2018 In this episode, Breht is joined by Yueran Zhang, a PhD candidate in Sociology at Harvard University, to discuss the Chinese Revolution and the legacy of Mao Zedong. Together, they explore the historical context of China's revolutionary transformat ... Show More

<p>Happy Chinese New Year! Whether you plan to celebrate by dancing down the street inside a papier-maché dragon, or by giving cash-stuffed envelopes to your grandchildren, this is the biggest holiday of the year in China. Learn all about it in today&#39;s podcast! Episode link: ... Show More

Like most rulers of old, Mausolus wasn't exactly known for his modesty. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max continue their exploration of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World with the story of a tomb so opulent that humans ended up making a brand-new word to describe it: the ... Show More

The co-author of the African run of the History of Philosophy Podcast (and new book) joins us to go over philosophical works from 2200-1400 BCE: "The Instruction of Ptahhotep," "The Instruction Addressed to King Merikare," "The Great Hymn to the Aten," "The Dispute Between a Man ... Show More