Singh, Prashant KumarPrashant KumarSingh2025-08-312025-08-312024-01-01[9789819731220, 9789819731237]10.1007/978-981-97-3123-7_72-s2.0-105002857288http://repository.iitgn.ac.in/handle/IITG2025/28460The 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.falseConsumerism | Dementia | Fascination | Gifts | Iconoclasm | SuspicionBook Chapter97-1061 January 20240chBook0