The Happiest Man in 1901-1904

Item fileIt's often incredibly rare to find photographs of people smiling pre-20th century. In fact, you can be forgiven for thinking the smile was an invention of the 20th century, after seeing the seemingly solemn and emotionless expressions of people in Victorian-era photographs. The reasoning behind...

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Chairman Mao: History Figure of the Month (August 2012)

Mao's official portrait, dated 1967Ask an old-timer to think of a famous Chinese guy, chances are that he'd recall Mao Zedong, 'popularly' known as Chairman Mao. Who is this Mao person, you may be wondering ? In essence (and fact), he was the founding father of the People's Republic of China, a guerrilla...

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Freshen Up With Archaeology Friday (Post IX)

Tonnes of news over the past week, here are the highlights.Three Kingdoms' Tomb Holding Warrior Discovered:About 1,800 years ago, at a time when China was breaking apart into three warring kingdoms, a warrior was laid to rest.The tomb (photo from Chinese Archaeology)Buried in a tomb with domed roofs,...

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The History of Ice cream

Perhaps one of the most iconic cold snacks of all times, popularized in the 20th century due to the availability of refrigerators. The ice cream has been a sign of a simple way to have a cheap but ever-so-sweet snack during the blistering heat. But the history of ice cream goes back millenniums! In...

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Marco Polo never reached China ?

Recently, archaeologists have claimed that Marco Polo, the famous Venetian traveler who was said to have traveled from Europe to Persia, Central Asia and China, may have been a fraud !As said in the Sydney Morning Herald:HIS journeys across mountain ranges and deserts opened the eyes of mediaeval Europe to the exotic wonders of China and the Silk Road, establishing him as one of history's greatest...

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