Mesopotamia: the Birthplace of Justice
The world’s first written laws came from its first civilisation, Mesopotamia, and along with it the earliest judicial proceedings in the presence of a king
A Dyeing Art
From artisans in two rural Indian villages come a huge share of the Hindu world’s sacred bracelets
The Himalayan Parasite Worth More Than Gold
The parasitic fungi that spawned a decade-long, Nepali gold rush may soon die out thanks to climate change
Nepal’s Last Nomads Still Hunt and Eat Monkeys
Nepal’s last hunting tribe subsists on primates as their main meal, but not for much longer
Holy Hermit Healers
Ruesi have wandered the Thai wilderness for hundreds of years. All but forgotten, these “wizards of the forest” are today seeing a gradual comeback, as they work their magic for the devotee in need
Back From The Dead
Eternal rest is a lifelong task for the indigenous people of South Sulawesi, who reunite to serve their dead relatives once every few years
Rickshaws: Living Fossils
Asia’s classic mode of transport has seen continuous upgrades over the years. Yet the earliest rickshaws – and the downtrodden coolies that pulled them...
Mother Russia’s Mother Tongue
Descended from Polish roots, the language of Asia’s northernmost inhabitants only found its first alphabet in 862 AD, thanks to a pair of preaching Thessalonian monks