Poo Mu-chou

Biography

Professor Poo has worked and taught at Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan University, UCLA, Columbia, Grinnell College, and is now Chair Professor of History at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is one of the very few scholars in the field of Ancient History who did original research in both Egyptian and Chinese history and culture, and pioneered the study of comparative ancient history. So far he has contributed at least one English monograph to each of these areas. His publications in Egyptology include a monograph Wine and Wine Offering in the Religion of Ancient Egypt. His book, In Search of Personal Welfare-A View of Ancient Chinese Religion, is a trail-blazer in the study of ancient Chinese popular religion by utilizing newly excavated texts and archaeological material as well as transmitted documents. His publication, Enemies of Civilization: Attitudes toward Foreigners in Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and China, compares for the first time the issue of cultural consciousness in ancient civilizations, how and why they differed from each other, and provided a concrete example to show how comparative study of ancient history is possible and valuable. His forthcoming book, Daily Life in Ancient China, is to be published by the Cambridge University Press.

Research Interest

Egyptology History of the Ancient Near East Comparative Ancient History History and Religion of Ancient and Medieval China