Spec Tech: The End of the Silk Road

Chang’an: The city at the end of the Silk Road… …or at the beginning.  It depends on where you’re standing.  And when. For a citizen of First Century BCE China, Chang’an is the capital of the western Han Dynasty.(1)  It also marks the start of the Silk Road – the epic overland route linking the……

Spec Tech: A Man Walked into a Bar…

A Man Walked into a Bar… in Early Modern Edinburgh. Welcome to the second in a series of posts on everyday life in pre-industrial cities. Last time, we took a stroll down a typical street in Ancient Rome.  Rather than spying on powerful emperors or pivotal one-off events, we considered the minutiae of everyday life:……

Spec Tech: When In Ancient Rome…

From the sweeping backdrops of sword and sorcery, to the alien societies of planet-hopping space traders, fantasy and science fiction writers often draw from history and archaeology to inspire their worlds. You don’t have to be a history buff to create a detailed and believable setting for your stories. But using history as a source……