Cai Lun: Did you mean...?

An example of the calligraphy of Cai Xiang, an 11th century CE Chinese calligrapher. (National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan)

The War of the Eight Princes (291-306 CE) is the conflict which weakened and finally ended the Western Jin Dynasty (266-316 CE) in China and resulted in more far-reaching consequences throughout the country. The power of the Sima family was...

Illuminated manuscripts were hand-made books, usually on Christian scripture or practice, produced in Western Europe between c. 500-c. 1600. They are so called because of the use of gold and silver which illuminates the text and accompanying...

An image of a Ming dynasty woodcut showing the main steps in the ancient Chinese papermaking process as outlined by Cai Lun in 105 CE.

Calligraphy established itself as the most important ancient Chinese art form alongside painting, first coming to the fore during the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). All educated men and some court women were expected to be proficient at...

The widespread use of paper and printing were features of ancient China which distinguished it from other ancient cultures. Traditionally, paper was invented in the early 2nd century CE, but there is evidence it was much earlier. As a cheaper...

The achievements of the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), often regarded by scholars and the ancient Chinese themselves as the golden era of Chinese culture, would have lasting effects on all who followed, particularly in the areas of government...

Daily life in ancient China changed through the centuries but reflected the values of the presence of gods and one's ancestors in almost every time period. Villages like Banpo show evidence of a matriarchal society, where there was a priestly...

Check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/teded View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-day-in-the-life-of-an-ancient-athenian-robert-garland It’s 427 BCE, and the worst internal conflict ever to occur in the ancient...

Dig into the Egyptian myth of Osiris, trapped by his brother, the warrior god Set, in a coffin and tossed into the Nile to die. — Long jealous of his older brother Osiris, the god who ruled all of Egypt, the warrior god Set plotted...