We tend to think that social inequality ends at the grave and that death is the ultimate equalizer. But is it? At least not in ancient Egypt, where a person’s social status and wealth determined not just how they lived, but also how they were buried and prepared for the afterlife. As one of the many civilizations that believed in a life after death , the ancient Egyptians practiced elaborate burial rituals to ensure eternal fulfillment in the afterlife: mummification, placin

Thousands of years ago, there were no Google Maps or daily weather forecasts. Instead, there was the night sky—a map, calendar, compass, and temple all rolled into one. People living in ancient times noticed that certain stars rose and set at the same time every year. By tracking these patterns, they could predict the changing seasons, determine when the rains would come or when the soil would be ready for planting, create calendars, and navigate routes.  In fact, watching th

Anything has the power to change the course of history, even a stone. In this case, I am talking about the Rosetta Stone, discovered in...

People who go to great lengths to hide their possessions often have their reasons to. For Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra, it was not an object...

Imagine it is the year 79 AD in the hills of Italy. You are surrounded by skies as blue as the ocean and the charming aroma of the local...

Welcome to “Roots and Relics,” my blog series focused on cultural preservation in the face of climate change. Here, I will share my views...