Bengaluru: Did you know that the basic concepts of sculpting have remained unchanged since the Stone Age? Or, that our pre-historic ancestors were as smart as us, if not smarter? Would you be ready to believe if someone said the 21st century post-modernist humans are really ‘unoriginal’?
In a refreshing and 'fact-centric' look at pre-history, anthropology and archaeology, a motley group of people met at the government museum on Saturday to discuss the Stone Age over a cup of organic hibiscus tea.
The event was conducted by ‘Chai With History’, a forum that allows students, citizen researchers and anyone with a passion for history to go beyond the textbook versions and look at the subject from an humanistic perspective. The session was handled by Akash Srinivas, a student of prehistoric archaeology.
"We want people to be able to connect to the past and comprehend the difference between fact and interpretation of history," says Lathashree K.S., who conceptualised the event over three years ago.
And it all happened overnight during a Facebook chat. "My friends suggested a discussion on history. We had our first session on Indian history," says Ms. Lathashree, a post graduate in Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology, who is a guest lecturer in many city colleges.
Since then, the group has been meeting once a month discussing a range of topics, including Indian epics, pre-history, medieval history, iconography, Harappan civilisation and south Indian temple architecture, to name a few.
They also visit various sites within the city and trace its origins, archaeologically. Book and journal reading sessions are also conducted for enthusiasts.
The topics are generally decided by members of the group, which includes artists, architects, IT professionals, bankers and retired people.
"Most sessions are by popular choice. Once we had a request for a session on Ashoka. Participants had to learn the Brahmi script, the mode of communication during that period and then read inscriptions from that period inside the museum to better understand the Maurya dynasty," says Ms. Lathashree.
Sanjana Rangan, a student of history, is a regular at these sessions. She says, "They are really enlightening. I think it is necessary to know our past in order to understand who we are in the present."
Ms. Lathashree feels there is a need to promote the concept of public archaeology to engage people and make archaeological findings relevant to all.
