Speaking Archaeologically Workshop: From Objects to Archaeology by Simran Kaur Saini

"Imagine standing in a room in a large museum. As you look around the dimly lit gallery, you begin to recognize shapes: a basket, an arrow, a beautifully decorated carving, a shield. Some of the objects are unrecognizable to you. What if these objects could speak? What would they tell you about themselves? How have they been used? Where did they come from? How did they get to this museum? Who do they belong to?"
                                                                                                                   - Ari Berk and Carolyn Dunn

It was a typical cozy, warm Sunday morning, with the air resplendent with festive vibes, perfect for catching up on all that lost sleep. Yet I was standing in front of the National Museum like an energetic little child, bursting with excitement over my first ever Speaking Archaeologically workshop. Weird right? Spending my whole day immersed in the vestiges of the past within the ambit of a place that feels like a safe haven is something that I cannot say no to, even if it means sacrificing my dear sleep (and believe me, I love my sleep). That Sunday, which I would soon come to realize, was probably one of the best Sundays that I ever had, for it made me fall in love with archaeology and history all over again. All thanks to an extremely fun, interesting and enriching session of object analysis!

Fig. 1: The Workshop in progress at the National Museum, Delhi.

The workshop on 'From Objects to Archaeology' was held at the National Museum, Delhi on 20th October, 2019 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. So there we were, a group of 30 people, both members and non- members, united by our common quest for the past. The initial meeting was full of jitters and nervous butterflies as we slowly opened to each other and embarked on our journey to discover the mysteries of the various objects housed in the museum. Shriya was leading and coordinating the session and let me tell you, it was an absolute delight listening to her and interacting with her.
The session started with the question, "Why the need to go to a museum and analyze objects?". Objects, if observed properly, have a lot of answers within themselves about the period they belonged to, maybe even giving birth to more questions and perspectives which one never thought about. Throughout the session we learnt about how to go about analyzing objects and further link them with literary sources and other parallels. The most important thing that one learnt, however, was to let go of your biases and preconceived notions, and instead look at the object with an open mind. This is one point that I will come back to later, for it surely was the main gift the workshop gave me.

Fig. 2: Analyzing a Pratihara period sculpture.

After the lecture on object analysis, we moved on to the practical aspect of the workshop: Observing and analyzing the objects ourselves! Three types of objects were chosen for this- sculptures, miniature paintings and coinage. All of us were divided into three groups with each group dealing with a particular type of object. I was given sculptures to analyze (and really I was dancing like anything on the inside) along with several other participants who had opted for the same. So we went to the area housing the sculpture galleries, holding our worksheets, realizing that it was time to let ourselves loose and get lost in the myriad charms and mysteries of the museum at last. With a plethora of sculptures beckoning us, all of us dispersed into different galleries, some to Harappan, some to Gupta and some to Kushan. This one hour of object analysis entailed not only careful observation of the sculpture but also witnessed some really interesting and enriching discussions happening amongst us all. Some new theories emerged, some new questions arose, and sometimes a fresh perspective of looking at things already known came about. The hour passed by so quickly, given our mesmerized selves, that we lost track of time and struggled to leave the gallery that had become a small home to us. The enthusiastic energy was so much that some of us even scrambled off to the miniature paintings gallery and started analyzing objects there.

Fig. 3 Participants engaged in a discussion.

And then came the final leg of the workshop: Discussing what we had observed and deliberating on it further. Honestly, this was the part that I was dreading the most, for I was not even remotely confident about presenting my findings amongst a group of really talented and inquisitive individuals. But my fears were proven wrong and a really comfortable atmosphere descended over us. Everyone talked about their chosen object and their way of analyzing it. Shriya provided us with interesting insights and more ways of looking at each of the three types of objects. Thus, even if one was limited to just one gallery for object analysis, the discussion of worksheets about miniatures, sculptures and coinage gave all of us an opportunity to understand the different ways in which each object speaks to us and how important such a process is for Archaeology.

Although the workshop ended, the members stayed back and could not help going for another tour around the museum. So we chatted, photographed and deliberated while going from one gallery to another. And then in the midst of all this, came up a very important discussion about which I had mentioned before- the letting go of preconceived notions and instead learning to value each and every varied and distinct opinion. The importance of valuing each distinct cultural heritage and understanding that there indeed existed multiple identities, even within oneself, led us to trace our own origins and different cultural patterns. With each one of us talking about their cultural context and distinct practices, a realization soon dawned on us that this practice of keeping in mind multitude of cultural patterns was in close relationship with analyzing the history and purpose of different objects.

Though we could spend an eternity in the museum, our stomachs rumbled with hunger and that was our cue to end this beautiful journey. We did not realize it before, but indeed we were really tired with the bright Delhi sun shining above us. So we went to the museum's cafe and ate, simultaneously chatting and getting to know each other better. This lunch was really the icing on the cake (well, apart from our discussion about the Chamundi sculpture that is, for it sure was super interesting). I think everyone took back a little something from this workshop, at least I certainly did! This workshop was not just about what archaeology and object analysis is, but also about valuing our heritage, preserving it and engaging more with it. I believe that such workshops are much needed in order to inculcate an awareness amongst people about heritage, to make them realize their close relationship with it and to further make them active in its preservation and conservation so that heritage isn't lost in the sands of time. The workshop gave us new bonds to cherish, a new outlook on perceiving things and a whole variety of different thoughts and ideas. For me, this workshop would always be something that I would cherish and look back at with fondness. Not just because I learnt new techniques or procedures, but the way it increased my respect for the disciplines that I have always been passionate about: History and Archaeology.