Eyes of the past, pictures of the present

With a slight modification, a book written by anthropologist Suresh Dhakal about the prehistory of a similar 'football field' until the beginning of letters has been published - 'History of History' (2081). It can be called the best book written in Nepali language about world-class prehistory. The anthropologist Janak Rai has written about the

book in an interesting way, "This book, written in an interesting style, teaches the basic theoretical knowledge of anthropology and anthropological archeology in a simple way, in this sense, this book is anthropology And it is readable not only for students of prehistory but also for general readers.

I especially understood Suresh Dhakal as a cultural anthropologist. After reading this book my confusion is cleared. He has also been an authoritative scholar of archaeological anthropology and ethno-archaeology. After getting the book, while skimming through the contents and the inside pages, when I saw the subheading 'Ethno-Archaeology', I stopped and started reading from there. Ethno-archaeology being a subject of interest to me too, I read some of the material available 'digitally'. I was trying to read some books bought by a friend across the sea. It does not matter that I am a fan of ethno-archaeology in the language of Sahariya Chalti. I became even more excited when, while reading the book, I realized that Nepali scholars have also worked in ethno-archaeology. When I found out that Suresh Dhakal himself is an 'MPhil' in Ethno-Archaeology from the University of Bergen, I was almost giddy with joy. I felt like, "I have found a guru."

Suresh Dhakal has clearly written about ethno-archaeology, 'Ethno-archaeology is a method of interpreting archaeological evidence with the help of cultural anthropological studies. It is a way to reconstruct the past by analyzing the current archaeological materials.' In that sense, ethno-archeology can tell no less about Nepali prehistory than the archeology that excavates the ground can tell.

Ethno-archaeology is the ethnographic study of material culture in living practice in social life and considers it a continuation of the distant past. That's why R. A. Gould named ethno-archaeology as 'living archaeology'. In other words, excavation archeology reconstructs prehistory through artifacts buried beneath the surface of the earth. Ethno-archaeology, on the other hand, reconstructs prehistory through living artifacts on the ground, which has great relevance in Nepali society.

Especially in Nepali society, there are many material cultures that are still alive as a continuation of the primitive society, on the basis of which, as Suresh Dhakal said, 'the overall reconstruction of the past' can be done. As in the study of Poonam Rajyalakshmi Rana ('Similarities of Custom/Ornaments of Indus Valley Civilization and Ethnic Communities of Nepal', 2011), the use of clothing and jewelry that is almost identical to the material artifacts found in the excavations in the Indus Valley is still present in Ghale (Gurung), Tamang. and is alive among the Sherpas.

The statue of Gajalakshmi at Chaisalhiti in Patan has a mother goddess with a kalli on her feet, which Lainsingh Bangdel (History of Ancient Nepali Sculpture, 2039) compares with the mother goddess found in the Indus Valley and dates it to the first century BC.

The exact same use of calli is still alive among the hill tribes of Nepal. These material cultures can be taken as a reliable fact to study the dimensions of the relationship between the civilization of the Indus Valley and the tribal tribes of Nepal, which will help in reconstructing Nepali prehistory. This is what ethno-archaeology can do. Even if only representative references are included among these countless Nepalese material cultures, this book will be a perennial textbook.

Author Suresh Dhakal has discussed about the 'history before history' of human beings in different 14 chapters. Referring to the theoretical discussion of prehistory and archeology, I would like to discuss a little about the lessons learned by applying archeology in practice.

Suresh Dhakal has discussed in the book about five 'fundamental inventions' of the ancestors that gave a new turn to human history. These are agriculture, fire, the wheel, metal and writing, which he calls 'prehistoric determinants'. When discussing these topics, it is natural that the author focuses on the global context because the book itself is about human prehistory as a whole. However, it would be a Nepaliized 'history before history' if Nepali references were to be included more. It would not be otherwise to expect such from anthropologist Suresh Dhakal. From this point of view, I would like to raise a couple of topics as a model.

As Kirat Rai Dhamis describe the stone tool 'baithar' in Mundum as 'haikam baithar ninam baithar' and use Neolithic tools as cultural tools. I have also collected some such tools during my studies. The bow is still used as a cultural artifact. These living artifacts are living physical facts of prehistoric reconstruction.

As author Dhakal says, there is almost unanimity that agriculture began globally 12,000 years ago. When did farming start in Nepal? Archeological evidence is not available for this. Author Dhakal has pointed out the possibility that the knowledge of farming may have entered Nepal from Kashmir around 3000 BC. However, it is also worth noting that the Munda (Kol) introduced the technique of ox-tilled paddy cultivation from Assam to the Kathmandu Valley at the end of the Neolithic period (Kamal Prakash Mall, From Literature to Culture, 2015). On the other hand, Nirish Nepal (Origin of Paddy Cultivation, 1989, Rolamb) credits the Kiratis with introducing paddy cultivation in the Kathmandu Valley. He made this argument based on the existing cultural practices of the Kiratis and Japu (Jya means work and Pu means towel paddy) which is considered Kirat within Newar.

author Dhakal has discussed – women have a fundamental contribution in the beginning of agriculture. And, even in Mundum, the cultivation of grains, including ferro (kaguni), is described as beginning with the primitive Baju Chinima, which fits perfectly with the anthropological claim that women initiated agriculture. There are many such oral knowledge traditions and cultural practices that connect the broken links (missing links) of history in Nepali society. These can also be useful sources of 'history before history'. It would be relevant to quote Ramanika Gupta in this context. She writes, 'In the womb of the gotra stories of the ancestors or the stories of the displacement, migration and migration of the poets and their ancestors, there are not only the chronicles of the poets but also the development and history of mankind, which needs deep research. Many broken links (missing links) of history can be searched through stories' (Northeast Tribal Creation Myths and Folktales, 2011).

According to the author Dhakal, the use of metal started 6000 years ago and copper is the first metal used by man. The use of iron began 4000 years ago. When did the use of metals start in Nepal? A concrete archaeological answer is not available. However, what is noteworthy is that the tribal tribes of Nepal also had metal arts. For example, talking about the Kirat Rais, there are still such pachas (clans), who are known for metal work. Copper vessels are considered absolutely sacred in cultural rituals. Probably because it was the first time it was used. However, after the caste system extended to the tribal society, this industrial capacity of theirs has completely disappeared. This is a serious loss for Nepali society. Another chapter that struck me while reading the

book is 'Prehistory: Religion and Women'. Academic discussions and archeological facts about the leadership role of women in history are discussed very nicely in the book. While discussing the current situation of women, author Dhakal has written in context, 'Myths and rituals are such powerful components, which are misinterpreted from time to time. To make specific assumptions about the past. Somewhere under the guise of such myths and rituals, the phenomenon of telling women to stay in the police station has not been created? Is it time to create myths? Of course, this is a dark side of myths and rituals. However, it also has a bright side which the writer has not been able to draw attention to.

In Ramika Gupta's own words, 'Miracles, wonders or superpowers are resorted to in order to instill faith', 'Miracle stories of Hindu Puranas and other religions' are worth creating as writer Suresh Dhakal says. However, it is certain that there is a difference between the 'miracle stories' inspired by spiritual faith and the cultural myths of tribal societies existing as oral traditions.

As in Kirat Rais, a 'mochama' (baju) is installed inside the house, symbolized by a small clay pot. Mochhama is considered as the head of the house and the guardian of the house i.e. culturally even now Baju is the head of the house. This clearly indicates that women were in a leadership position in Kirat society in the primitive age. It seems that such myths and rituals should be enriched rather than manufactured. Or, while promoting such progressive rituals, the myths and rituals to be created may automatically become ineffective.

In the end, as the writer Suresh Dhakal said, 'The more you can understand the reality of the past, the more you can understand the complexity of the present and the more you can plan for the future,' and it is also true that the more you can understand the present society, the more accurate the past can be understood as The dialectic of understanding the present through the eyes of the past and drawing a picture of the past from the living reality of the present is the essence of the book 'History before History'.