Terracotta Warriors
On Monday, I had off of school for President’s day, and since I had oodles of extra time, I watched a documentary on Netflix called Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors. Because after all, what better way to show my appreciation for the previous presidents of the United States than by watching a documentary about the first Chinese Emperor's grave?
One point I appreciated that was made by several anthropologists on the site was that the project of making all the terracotta warriors brought together the skills and talents of the different kingdoms. I would have loved to see them go into more detail about if they could tell which statues came from which regions given the different techniques. But the documentary was one of those docudramas where they flash back and forth between the current excavation and the dramatized version of what they think happened given historical evidence. Since they filled screen time with dramatized history to attract a wider audience, there was not enough time to devote to the more detailed information desired by crafty nerds.
As I sat crocheting and watching the documentary I thought about how so many things in life end up being undone. I thought about the artists and craftsmen who worked so carefully on the warriors who are now in pieces. I thought about the turtle tote I was crocheting and how it will probably outlive me and end up in some landfill. I thought about the convicts who were tasked with constructing the grave, placing the statues, then covering them up—just for them to be uncovered 2000 years later so that people can piece together what happened! Is this the modern Sisyphus?
Don’t get me wrong, I find solving the mysteries of history to be very fascinating. But I also wonder what is the point? Sometimes my 4th graders say, “Let the past be the past.” Are they right? No! As Winston Churchill said, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” But to what extent—to what detail— do we need to know the past to avoid the same mistakes?
When the documentary shifted to talk about the excavation of the bones, questions about respect for the dead popped in my head. Questions similar to those I wrote about in my “Seamus Heaney and Bog Bodies” post. What gives people the right to go and dig up the bones of people who have been buried for centuries? I suppose it is ok because that is part of the canonization process. So if the Catholic Church does it, it must be ok, right? I find carbon dating fascinating! I love how science aids the study of history and anthropology! But something just seems off. Do we desire to know too much? Where do we draw the line between respect and discovery? Who knows!?
These are the things I think about while crafting. I would be interested to know your thoughts! So feel free to comment below or email me at fbdartistry@gmail.com.
