Discreet Charm of Things: An Anthropological-Archaeology Perspective

The present age is characterised by so many contrarian events happening simultaneously that we find it difficult to make sense of them under the same rubric. On the one hand, a lot of effort and money is spent to preserve the heritage sites and artefacts epitomised by archaeology and museology; on the other hand, the destruction and vandalism of these sites take place all over the world. These contradictory behaviours are also seen at individual levels; there is a frenzy to collect and possess different exotic items from all over the world but at the same time, there has been a proliferation of production and consumption of different industrial goods, with their rapid abandonment and wastage leading to a sustainability crisis. This paper analyses these contrarian events in different spheres of life from an archaeo-anthropological perspective and highlights the uneasy relationship humans share with non-humans. In the end, the paper will discuss an alternative approach toward things that can help us in better visualising the status of things in one’s life.