essay · 27 September 2026
The city beyond the monument
A grain account, a drain and a water channel reveal the less visible achievement of living together.
ReadHistory & shared life
Patterns of Civilization
The worlds we made. The threads between them.
Follow water into cities, ideas across languages, and the things people carry through times of change. These illustrated essays bring places and periods into conversation, while keeping their differences in view.
The paintings come from my Patterns of Civilization game project. They invite you into the stories; the source notes support the history.
Explore the writing
A world of connected stories.
Start with a place or a question. Each essay opens another way into the larger story.
The paintings have a story too. Read about the game that inspired them →