Objects as History (Week 1)

Monday, 6th January

Malvika Mahidhar

Today was a completely different class. I never thought that I’ll study history in design. But as the class proceeded I realised it’s so much important. The first problem I faced was “what does object signifies in history?” At the start of the class Ms Malvika herself asked and explained us the real meaning of object. We also discussed the difference between object and artefact. To differentiate them we discussed about their use/purpose and also utility. What I understood after the discussion was that artefacts are priceless and once had utility.

Now what is beauty? During the discussion I got to know in how many ways beauty can be described and how it changes with time.

Later we discussed about Prohistory, Protohistory and History.

Prohistory includes stone tools, cave dwellings, cave painting, fire discovery, hunter and nomads.

Ma’am also showed us historical art and few artefacts such as they use to paint l with their blood using hands or sticks in caves. This was a way of communicating through images and not with words.

She also showed us the animal skin, teeth and bones that were used as jewellery (luxury). As they started to think beyond the object of need by not just using animal skin for clothing.

Different Time Period – Palaeolithic (connected with the early part of the Stone Age), Neolithic (also known as the “New Stone Age” the final division of the Stone Age), Chalcolithic (4th and 3rd millennia BC).

Places – Indus River, lascaux altamira, Catal huyuk.

It was a completely different experience. I got to learn about so much more and earned more knowledge about them.

She also told us that she’ll make us read and give a lot of reading homework which I find very helpful to grasp.