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| Islamic coin dated back to Vijayanagara Empire |
It's a coin. Just a regular coin, used to buy things with. Nothing much, right?
Except this one's a little older than one you've probably seen. This one is 800 years old.
That's older than my grandfather, and I haven't seen many things older than him.
This coin weighs less than a battery, yet when I hold it in my hand it feels like I am carrying the burden of around 32 generations. This small, meaningless piece of metal has felt hands from the time of the Vijayanagara Empire, yet nobody pays any attention to it. And that is what breaks my heart.
We purchased the coin from an elderly lady who ran a coin stall in Hampi - each one dating at least over 600 years old. Can you guess how much it cost us?
A Grand total of 80 rupees.
That's around $1.50.
For an 800 year old coin.
Ridiculous.
How can people not embrace the value of it? It's ancient! By just glancing at the markings, I plunge into the world of my imagination and the story of this humble coin forms in my head. Who did it belong to? A farmer? A merchant? An emperor? Who knows? Even an object so small, so minuscule, has an extensive history to it.
The fact is, everything that we see or touch has a history to it. No matter how small or how expensive, how old or how valuable it may be, every object has an intricate past.
Simply knowing the past isn't worth any effort - any fool can pick up a book and memorize facts, dates, and figures. What's important is using those facts to interpret, compare, analyze, and create a pattern to have an in-depth knowledge into all aspects of humanity. With the past, we can predict the future - after all, human development only progresses by learning from mistakes.
Edison failed over a thousand times while trying to invent the lightbulb (or as he put it, created over a thousand ways NOT to make a lightbulb!)
It's investigating history that truly captivates me. I couldn't be bothered about that event which happened on this date during this time period - it's how that event has changed the course of history that impacts me. And that's why I'm so passionate about archaeology. Learning how seemingly inconsequential events have altered the course of history is absolutely fascinating. Yet when we look at the past, we rarely connect to the present. What we realize is that we observe history at a superficial level - not many notice that these occurrences have repeated themselves multiple times throughout time, and that such events may take place even now. The circumstance in the world right now is highly volatile - a tiny incident sparks massive controversy, and even a single, unnoticed person can change the world forever. And the best part?
It could be me or you.
Now I understand that you may believe that I have severely digressed from my original coin story, but truth is, I haven't. The whole point of writing this entry is so that you can observe how the smallest objects can transition into something so important. I hope these "seemingly insignificant" words makes you realize how important all of us are to this world. I believe that every single one of us can make an impact on a global scale, and I hope that someday in the future, I do too.
So if you have managed to read this far without murmuring curses or pulling your hair out at my unbearable style of writing, sit back and try to let the message I'm sending sink in.
And for those you who are wondering where this blog is headed, I'm not too sure either. I love writing about history, but every now and then I'll be adding my own "seemingly insignificant" opinions and thoughts. Thanks for reading this, and I truly hope you grasp the essence of what I'm attempting to say.
This coin weighs less than a battery, yet when I hold it in my hand it feels like I am carrying the burden of around 32 generations. This small, meaningless piece of metal has felt hands from the time of the Vijayanagara Empire, yet nobody pays any attention to it. And that is what breaks my heart.
We purchased the coin from an elderly lady who ran a coin stall in Hampi - each one dating at least over 600 years old. Can you guess how much it cost us?
A Grand total of 80 rupees.
That's around $1.50.
For an 800 year old coin.
Ridiculous.
How can people not embrace the value of it? It's ancient! By just glancing at the markings, I plunge into the world of my imagination and the story of this humble coin forms in my head. Who did it belong to? A farmer? A merchant? An emperor? Who knows? Even an object so small, so minuscule, has an extensive history to it.
The fact is, everything that we see or touch has a history to it. No matter how small or how expensive, how old or how valuable it may be, every object has an intricate past.
Simply knowing the past isn't worth any effort - any fool can pick up a book and memorize facts, dates, and figures. What's important is using those facts to interpret, compare, analyze, and create a pattern to have an in-depth knowledge into all aspects of humanity. With the past, we can predict the future - after all, human development only progresses by learning from mistakes.
Edison failed over a thousand times while trying to invent the lightbulb (or as he put it, created over a thousand ways NOT to make a lightbulb!)
It's investigating history that truly captivates me. I couldn't be bothered about that event which happened on this date during this time period - it's how that event has changed the course of history that impacts me. And that's why I'm so passionate about archaeology. Learning how seemingly inconsequential events have altered the course of history is absolutely fascinating. Yet when we look at the past, we rarely connect to the present. What we realize is that we observe history at a superficial level - not many notice that these occurrences have repeated themselves multiple times throughout time, and that such events may take place even now. The circumstance in the world right now is highly volatile - a tiny incident sparks massive controversy, and even a single, unnoticed person can change the world forever. And the best part?
It could be me or you.
Now I understand that you may believe that I have severely digressed from my original coin story, but truth is, I haven't. The whole point of writing this entry is so that you can observe how the smallest objects can transition into something so important. I hope these "seemingly insignificant" words makes you realize how important all of us are to this world. I believe that every single one of us can make an impact on a global scale, and I hope that someday in the future, I do too.
So if you have managed to read this far without murmuring curses or pulling your hair out at my unbearable style of writing, sit back and try to let the message I'm sending sink in.
And for those you who are wondering where this blog is headed, I'm not too sure either. I love writing about history, but every now and then I'll be adding my own "seemingly insignificant" opinions and thoughts. Thanks for reading this, and I truly hope you grasp the essence of what I'm attempting to say.
