Welcome. This site is my long-form exploration of how civilizations rise, transform, and fall—using sourced material, footnotes, and references for each essay. The goal is careful reading, clear argument, and respectful discussion.

What you’ll find here

• Essays: long-form posts with footnotes and a References section.
• Case studies: multi-part series on specific civilizations or periods.
• Methods: notes on historiography, models, and data.
• Resources: reading lists, maps, datasets, and tools.

How to navigate

• Latest posts: home page shows the newest essays.
• Archives: browse everything by date at /archives/.
• Categories: broad groupings (e.g., Foundations, Case Studies, Methods) at /categories/.
• Tags: specific topics (e.g., Rome, Trade, Institutions, Collapse) at /tags/.
• Search: use the search icon in the site header to find topics quickly.

Reading experience

• Table of contents: most posts include a ToC for quick jumping between sections.
• Footnotes: look for superscript markers like ¹; notes appear at the bottom of the post.
• References: each post ends with a short bibliography or links to primary/secondary sources.
• Dark mode: toggle via the theme switch (helpful for long reads).

Commenting and discussion (Giscus)

• Anyone can read comments. To post, sign in with a GitHub account (free) when prompted at the bottom of a post.
• Threads are nested; reply under the point you’re addressing.
• Please:
  • Be civil, stay on topic, and assume good faith.
  • Cite sources for claims; link if possible.
  • Quote only the necessary portion of a source; provide context.
  • No ad hominem attacks, harassment, spam, or off-topic promotion.
• Moderation: I may remove comments that break these guidelines. If something needs attention, flag it or let me know.

How I cite

• I use notes-and-bibliography style: short footnotes for inline references and a References section at the end.
• Primary sources are indicated when used; translations are credited.
• When relevant, I’ll link to a public bibliography or reading list.
• If you spot an error or have a better source, comment with the citation.

Suggest a topic or source

• Comment at the bottom of this page with your suggestion and a brief rationale.
• Or start a discussion here: https://github.com/njb1966/njb1966.github.io/discussions
• Helpful suggestions include a citation, why it matters, and how it fits the current series.

Planned and ongoing series (examples)

• Models of collapse and resilience
• Environment, resources, and infrastructure
• Trade networks and institutions
• Case studies (e.g., Rome, Maya, Abbasid, Song)
• Reading and reviewing classic works in the field
• Culture & Civilization: reading societies through their myths, shadows, and counter-traditions

Publishing cadence

• Expect fewer, longer essays rather than frequent short posts. Quality and readability come first.

Technical notes

• Built with Jekyll (Chirpy) and hosted on GitHub Pages.
• Comments are powered by Giscus (GitHub Discussions).
• RSS feed (for updates): /feed.xml

Contact

• Best: leave a comment on the relevant post or on this page.
• Alternatively, open a discussion: https://github.com/njb1966/njb1966.github.io/discussions
• If you need to share private information (e.g., permissions), mention it in a comment and I’ll follow up with a direct channel.

Acknowledgments and reuse

• Unless noted otherwise, text is copyright © the author. You may quote brief excerpts with attribution and a link.
• For reprint requests or classroom use, please ask in a comment or discussion.

Thank you for reading—and welcome to the journey.

1. Example footnote format. Use short notes here; put full citations in “References” at the end of each post. ↩︎