It’s AntiquityNOW Month! The Great Wall of China was built more than 2,500 years and remains one of the world’s most remarkable projects of antiquity. Construct your own Great Wall of China and explore life under China’s first emperor in Yesterday’s Child.
Tag Archives: china
AntiquityNOW Month: Make Something Monday! Build Your Own Great Wall of China
Looking for Natural Skin Care Tips? Ancient Chinese Empresses and Concubines Share Their Recipes
1862 advertisement for Laird’s Bloom of Youth, claiming to preserve and beautify the complexion and skin. Source: Cosmetics and Skin.
UPDATE! This post was originally published on January 17, 2013. Skin care and that eternal search for youth are back in the news this month with a remedy that is both scandalous and ancient: blood. A new study has found that young blood does have powers of rejuvenation. The blood plasma from young mice was injected into old mice who then experienced improved learning and memory.[1] It isn’t a far leap to imagine applying this research to skin care and the possibility that blood may impart youth to the physical appearance as well. This is certainly not a new thought. History has several examples of people who believed blood was perhaps a fountain of youth. Continue reading
Posted in Beauty, Blog, Culture
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, china, history, pearl powder, skin care
Bon Appetit Wednesday: The Ancient Noodle
Covered in creamy sauce, swimming in fragrant broth or simply sharing a bowl with some butter, noodles are the quintessential comfort food. Not surprisingly, many want to claim the noodle as their own. So many nations jockeying for position, longing to be the originators of pasta perfection. The noodle has a pretty mysterious past, but we are going to attempt to illuminate the highlights for you, along with sharing a quick and easy homemade noodle recipe. And don’t forget the sauce! Click here for a collection of sauce recipes to suit every palate. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Grilled Butter Miso Corn
This week we’re bringing you an ancient flavor of Japan, miso, paired with a staple of summer barbecues, corn on the cob. The salty miso perfectly complements the sweet corn, creating a unique pairing full of flavor and history. Before we start grilling, let’s take a minute to explore the roots of miso, a food that has sustained the Japanese for centuries.
In most cultures around the world today, miso is thought of as a seasoning. The fermented soybean paste has an extreme saltiness, and so most people use only a small amount to flavor their food. However, the Japanese see miso as much more than just a condiment. “It is a basic staple, a concentrated source of protein and other nutrients important enough to be thought of as a full-fledged food.”[1] Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture
Tagged ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, china, grilled corn, Japan, jiang, miso, soybean
Happy Valentine’s Day! The Power of Love (Pssst—It’s All in the Eyes and Nose)
Red roses are synonymous with love, and have been for centuries. But there’s an interesting story behind the tales of starry-eyed lovers and their proclamations of everlasting romance. The red rose it seems, has as much to do with our eyes and nose as it has to do with affairs of the heart.
First, let’s take a look at the flower that started it all: the beauteous and aromatic rose. Roses can be traced back 35 million years according to fossil evidence. Roses were growing wild in many places as diverse as Persia and in what is now Colorado in the United States. As early as the 11th century BCE the Chinese were cultivating flowers of all sorts. In fact, China has incredible biodiversity and boasts 93 species and 144 varieties of roses that are native to its habitats.[1] China became the dominant breeder and purveyor of roses until around 300 years ago, when Europe took the lead in cultivation and breeding.[2] Continue reading
Posted in Anatomy and Physiology, Beauty, Biology, Blog, Culture, Holidays, Public Life, Recreation, Science and Technology
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, china, Isis, limbic system, Napoleon, red rose, romance, valentine's day
Celebrating Chinese New Year: The Dragon Re-Interpreted
The dragon has a long and esteemed history in Chinese lore. In honor of Chinese New Year, AntiquityNOW’s Artist-in-Residence Dan Fenelon has recast this legendary figure into phantasmagorical creations that fuse the ancient and the modern with a whimsical turn—a Fenelon trademark. Continue reading
Posted in Art, Blog, Culture, Holidays, Kids: Art, Kids: Holidays, Public Life
Tagged ancient art, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, art history, china, Chinese holidays, Chinese New Year, Dan Fenelon, dragons, Year of the Horse
Celebrating Chinese New Year: Explore China’s Past, Present and Future With Videos From The Archaeology Channel
Chinese New Year is next Friday, January 31 and this is a perfect time to learn more about the nation’s fascinating culture and history. An excellent way to do this is to enjoy videos from our partner, The Archaeology Channel. In order to expedite your search, we’ve put together a list of videos that feature China, its history and contemporary issues. Click on any title or image below to visit a page where you can view the video. Continue reading
Ancient Foodie Tee, Tote and Apron Now Featured in The Bazaar
For those foodies out there, AntiquityNOW has some new ways to display your appreciation of the ancients. We are featuring in The Bazaar, our new store that we announced last week, wearables that proclaim your fondness for foods with a history.
Here are some delightful, delectable and intriguing facts that you will sport on our new wearable designs:
- Apple pieces have been found in Stone Age dwellings in Switzerland
- Cheesecake was given to athletes in the first Olympic games in 776 BCE in Greece
- The origins of ice cream began 5,000 years ago in China
- Ancient Maya used cacao beans as currency and to make chocolate
- Emperor Nero consumed leeks to improve his singing voice Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Culinary, Culture, Fashion
Tagged ancient food, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, cacao, china, Egypt, Nero, Olympics, The Bazaar, Tomb of Menna
Immersion in Ancient Times: Yesterday’s Child Series Brings the Past to Life
It was a wonderful time with social studies teachers and administrators at the New Jersey Council for the Social Studies annual conference last Wednesday, October 23. AntiquityNOW had an exhibit and welcomed much interest in our programs. Next month AntiquityNOW will be a poster at the National Council for the Social Studies annual conference on November 22 in St. Louis, Missouri. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Education, Public Life
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, china, education, Qin Shi Huang
KIDS’ BLOG! Boom! Pow! Whizzz!: The History of Fireworks
Displays of fireworks are widely used on festive occasions, as at the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games, 2008.
Fireworks are used by many cultures to celebrate holidays and important events. Their spectacle unites people and commemorates cultural milestones. Kaleidoscopic bursts against the night sky, spirals of colored fire, glimmering waterfalls—all the effects that give pounding delight to children and adults alike. Continue reading
Posted in Annotated, Art, Blog, Culture, Holidays, Kids Blog, Kids: Art, Kids: Culture, Kids: Holidays, Kids: Public Life, Kids: Recreation, Kids: Science and Tech, Public Life, Recreation, Science and Technology
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, celebrations, china, fireworks, Fourth of July, Independence Day, Italy
