Author: NICK COLLINS

Pakistan’s renewed embrace of the Indus Civilisation comes after decades of defining itself almost exclusively through an Islamic identity. While archaeology continues to reshape the understanding of the ancient Indian subcontinent, history should not become an instrument of contemporary politics. Historical narratives evolve with discoveries, better research and fresh perspectives. That is precisely what has happened over the past two decades with our understanding of the ancient Indian subcontinent. Ironically, the scholarly reassessment now coincides with Pakistan’s sudden attempt to identify itself with the Indus Civilisation after decades of distancing itself from that very heritage. The question is not whether…

Maritime trade is uniquely important in history. Technical and commercial challenges encourage inventiveness. Shipbuilders, painters, stevedores, ship-chandlers, lawyers, agents, repairers and the associated industries created employment. This, in turn, promoted economic growth, technical innovation, literacy, numeracy, and independent thinking. That is why most of the greatest cities in history were either ports or, like Rome’s Ostia and Greece’s Piraeus, had one attached. Of the “Seven Wonders of the World”, the Pharos at Alexandria and the Colossus of Rhodes were designed to guide ships into port, a vital element of the ancient Mediterranean economy. Today too, the most important countries tend…