#silkroad

[temlan777]

Journey

[tabrisangel]

welcome to the underground how was the fall

[jamppujamppu]

Bukhara, Uzbekistan April 2024 Konica C35 EF + Kodak Portra 160

[whencyclopedia]

This map traces the expansion of Buddhism from its origins in the Ganges Plain of Magadha (modern Bihar, India) during the 5th–4th century BCE when Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) attained enlightenment. From this heartland, Buddhism spread along mainland trade routes like the Silk Road and maritime networks, often supported by royal patronage. It reached Sri Lanka by the 3rd century BCE and Central...

[ilcontephotography]

Shah-i-Zinda necropolis.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

© Roberto Conte (2017)

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[streetcarnd]

[grrlmusic]

Namesake

[volunteerismandanarchy]

Ross Ulbricht is a peaceful first-time offender serving a double life sentence plus 40 years without parole for all non-violent charges associated with creating the Silk Road e-commerce website. He was a 26-year-old idealistic libertarian—passionate about free markets and privacy—when he made the site. Ross was not prosecuted for causing harm or bodily injury and no victim was named at trial. This is a sentence that shocks the conscience.

[createimpact3p0]

A beautiful video about Ancient China, a civilization that shaped the world with its innovations, philosophies, and monumental achievements.

If you enjoyed watching the content, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting the like button on YouTube

[watch-download-movie]

🌏 Epic Eras: Empires, Builders, and the Silk Road 🏛️ History comes alive in this captivating video that explores the rise and fall of empires, the visionary leaders who built them, and the legendary Silk Road that connected civilizations.

✨ What You’ll Discover:

How powerful empires shaped the ancient world.

The legacy of empire builders like Alexander the Great and Ashoka.

The Silk Road’s role in fostering global trade, cultural exchange, and innovation.

🎥 Watch Now: [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YeFfZBR2eY ] Dive into the stories that continue to inspire us and reveal how humanity’s past shapes our future.

💬 Let’s discuss: Which empire, leader, or historical connection inspires you the most? Reblog and share your thoughts!

[nonesuchrecords]

The first single from Silkroad and Rhiannon Giddens's upcoming album, American Railroad, is her arrangement of the traditional songs "Swannanoa Tunnel / Steel-Driving Man," out now. The former is written by wrongfully imprisoned Black men and women, who unwillingly risked their lives building the Swannanoa Tunnel in Giddens's home state of North Carolina. The latter is about the folk hero John Henry, who beat the steam drill with his hammer, only to die of a burst heart.

[lutnistas]

Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi ( Turkestan / Kazakhstan )

[tabrisangel]

dost anyone fw romechu heavy by any chance

[whencyclopedia]

The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World

In "The Fabric of Civilization," Virginia Postrel explores how the history of textiles is akin to the story of civilization as we know it. As evidenced throughout her book, Postrel treats each chapter as a standalone story of its production and journey, all the while masterfully weaving it together to show the story of human ingenuity. While academic in nature due to its incredibly well-researched methodology, the general reader will enjoy the book's unique style and approach to world history.

In The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World, Virginia Postrel expertly demonstrates how the history of textiles is the story of human progress. Although textiles have shaped society in many ways, their central role in the development of technology and impact on socio-economics have been exceedingly overlooked. Attempting to remedy this issue, Postrel organizes her book into two distinct sections: one focusing on the different stages of textile production (fiber, thread, cloth, and dye) and the other on the consumers, traders, and future innovators of said textiles. To strengthen her argument, Postrel pulls from different primary sources across many regions and cultures, such as the works of people like entomologist Agostino Bassi and the accounts of disgruntled Assyrian merchants. However, Postrel goes beyond relying solely on books and peer-reviewed articles; she personally interviewed textile historians, scientists, businesspeople, and artisans who offered their own insight regarding the importance of textiles in the world. To help the reader envision the intricacies of textile manufacturing, the book is riddled with images that range from ancient spindle whorls and Andean textile patterns to nineteenth-century pamphlets raging over improved cotton seeds. It is quite a laborious task to explain the history of textiles, but Postrel’s way of organizing her chapters and style of writing does an excellent job of conveying her argument.

In Chapter One, Postrel illustrates the many uses of fibers and how their multipurpose functionality served its role in world economies. From the domestication of cotton in the Americas to sericulture in ancient China, such fibers left an indelible mark on trade and technology. Chapter Two looks at the use of thread's connection with social and gender roles as Postrel argues that dismissing fabric as feminine domesticity ignores its integral role in the social innovations that products like clothing and sails provided. Chapter Three connects mathematics with weaving through handwoven textiles by Andean artisans and in the notations written down in Marx Ziegler’s manual, The Weaver’s Art and Tie-Up Book (1677). Chapter Four explains how dyes not only contributed to the distinction between social classes, such as the use of Tyrian purple by Roman emperors but also the ingenuity of humans to ascribe meaning and beauty to a variety of colors. Furthermore, the increasing and competitive trading of dyes in the 16th and 17th centuries would eventually contribute to the discovery of synthetic dyes.

Textile traders and consumers also helped to foster cultural exchanges. Postrel then highlights how traders often also served as innovators. The implementation of the Fibonacci sequence in European trading not only helped traders with bookkeeping but also gave a new perspective to the practicality of learning math by helping traders understand profits and calculate prices. Readers explore in Chapter Six how the Mongol Empire expanded across many different lands for their desire for valuable woven textiles. Under the Pax Mongolica, the textile trade flourished as the Mongols protected the Silk Road, resulting in cross-cultural and technological exchange between Europe and Asia. Lastly, in Chapter Seven, Postrel introduces synthetic polymers like nylon and polyester, where the efforts made by scientists like Wallace Carothers, Rex Whinfield, and James Dickson have revolutionized the use of textiles. Companies like Under Armour use polyester to create water-repellent clothing. Despite synthetic polymers currently being used innovatively, many still seek to look into the future of textiles. As Postrel explains, imagine your pockets can charge your phone or your hat could give you directions. The future of textiles is incredibly exciting.

As an avid writer of socio-economics, Postrel expertly showcases her knowledge of the subject. Postrel’s previous books, such as The Future and its Enemies (1998) and The Power of Glamour: Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion (2013), cover the interconnectedness between culture, technology, and the economy. Postrel has also worked as a columnist for several news sites, is the contributing editor for the magazine Works in Progress, and was a visiting fellow at the Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy at Chapman University. This book is a wonderful intellectual contribution that feels like a documentary series, perfectly threading the reader through cultures and regions like a needle through fabric.

Continue reading...

[streetcarnd]

[grrlmusic]

Namesake