Buddhist art originated on the Indian subcontinent around the 5th century BCE, following the historical life of Gautama Buddha—the religious leader and founder of Buddhism. Around the 1st century CE, the aniconic tradition of avoiding direct representation of Buddha’s bodily form was replaced with an iconic style of art that permitted the depiction of his human figure. What monument is the largest Buddhist structure in the world and contains more than 500 Buddha statutes? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Swaddling is the age-old practice of snugly wrapping infants in cloths or blankets so that movement of their limbs is tightly restricted. Originally believed to be an essential part of stimulating proper posture in infants, swaddling is still widely used today to settle and soothe irritable infants, supposedly by providing warmth and security for a baby who has recently left the womb. Swaddling should be stopped once the baby learns to do what? 
Plants, animals, and various symbolic objects have been featured in artistic depictions of Christian saints throughout history. Called attributes or emblems, these symbols—often held in the hands of the saints themselves—represent the exemplary nature of the saints’ lives. In the early days of Christianity, when many of the faithful were illiterate, these attributes made religious scenes and saints easily identifiable. Beheaded third century martyr Saint Denis is often depicted carrying what? 
Used as a form of channeling by proponents of Spiritualism and the New Age movement, automatic writing is a writing process that is performed without conscious thought or deliberation, at times, while the writer is in a trancelike state. Practitioners often attribute the resulting message to aliens, the deceased, the subconscious, or even God. Skeptics note, however, that there is no evidence to support such claims. Which books have allegedly been written using this technique? 
The English Civil War, which began in 1642, consisted of a series of conflicts between Parliamentarians and the Royalist supporters of King Charles I and, later, King Charles II. Ending with Parliamentary victory in 1651, the conflicts left England, Scotland, and Ireland without a monarch. After the execution of Charles I and the exile of Charles II, the monarchy was replaced with a republican commonwealth government led by Oliver Cromwell. When was Charles II restored to the throne? 
Nestor Makhno was an anarcho-communist Ukrainian revolutionary who refused to align with the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution in 1917. The enormous social experiment in anarchism that he helped create in Ukraine, first by driving out opposing armies and then by organizing the new anarchist system, was cut short by the Bolsheviks in 1921, when he was finally forced into exile. What anarchist work co-written by Makhno remains both influential and controversial today? 
The Incense Route was a series of important ancient trade routes linking Egypt to India by way of Arabia. The incense trade flourished between the 3rd century BCE and the 2nd century CE, during which time these routes played a vital role in the transport of frankincense and myrrh from Arabia; spices, ebony, and textiles from India; and wood, feathers, hides, and gold from East Africa. Spectacular evidence of the ancient trade can be seen in 16th-century BCE Egyptian frescos that depict what? 
Calligraphy, a term derived from the Greek word for “beautiful writing,” is a form of artistic writing practiced by cultures throughout the world for millennia. Calligraphic works can range from functional, hand-lettered inscriptions to abstract fine art pieces. Regarded in China and Japan as the greatest of the visual arts, calligraphy also figures prominently in Islamic art, which forbids the depiction of human and animal forms. What kind of glyphs are found carved into structures in Mexico? 
The historical referents of the term “assassin,” the Hashshashin were a secret society of Ismaili Shia Muslims who specialized in politically motivated killings of Crusaders and Muslim rulers. Much of the lore surrounding the feared sect, which originated in Persia and was active from 1090 to 1272, stems from Marco Polo’s likely fictional account of his visit to the city of Alamut in 1273. What drug is believed to be the root of the term “Hashshashin,” and what was its connection to the sect? 
These popular tiles are used to play many games of Chinese origin, most notably Mahjong. Traditionally, the pieces were made of bone and backed with bamboo, but most modern sets are constructed from various plastics and contain between 136 and 144 tiles. The symbols on the tiles—the majority of which have a rank and suit like playing cards—are almost always engraved or pressed into the material. How do some expert players determine the face value of their tiles without actually looking at them?