Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 26th September 2018, 01:37 PM   #1
Jens Nordlunde
Member
 
Jens Nordlunde's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,718
Default

Marius,
When I started the thread I thought someone would ask the question you asked, and I wondered how long time it would take before the question surfaced:-).
Depending which meaning you give the word 'research'. Someone may say he has researches a tulwar, and found out it is from Rajasthan 18th century, while another one might want to find out from which state in Rajasthan, and yet another one would like to know if he can relate it to a person in a specific state in Rajasthan.
The time used in these three cases will, of course, be very different, but in a way all three are research - on a very different level.
Jens Nordlunde is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th September 2018, 02:02 PM   #2
mariusgmioc
Member
 
mariusgmioc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,911
Default

Both of you (Jens & Ian) are right... but so am I.

In the end all depends on what depth we allocate to the term "research".
mariusgmioc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th September 2018, 03:16 PM   #3
Mercenary
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Moscow, Russia
Posts: 428
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde
Marius,
Someone may say he has researches a tulwar, and found out it is from Rajasthan 18th century...
Another one may say that it is Mughal 19th...
Third one - that it is from Deccan 18th...
But in fact it is the tourist item of the late 19th.
This is not research but of varying degrees of speculation. There is no science in it at all.
Mercenary is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th September 2018, 04:34 PM   #4
Jens Nordlunde
Member
 
Jens Nordlunde's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,718
Default

Mercenary,
If I understand you correctly, what you are saying is, that you have to be a scientist to do a research. I think you must be an academic to say something like that.
As far as I know everyone can make a research.

So I dont agree with you, as someone who has gotten his first sword, and used ten maybe twenty hours to find out what it is (due to lack of books), will likely call it a research. When he has added to his collection he may find out that research is something else -far more reading and far more time consuming.
Jens Nordlunde is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th September 2018, 05:01 PM   #5
ariel
Member
 
ariel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
Default

When we are talking about real research, we are talking about patterns and trends. Figuring out that a particular sword is from, say, Kutch and belonged to such-and-such is like putting a small simple tile on an empty board of 10,000 piece puzzle. Research is about unearthing governing principles.

Unfortunately, very few people are dealing with it. Perhaps, a book by Rivkin and Isaaks about history of Eastern sword comes closest to it.

Also, we lack the most powerful research tool: experimental verification. We cannot change anything in our database, we just observe individual examples and try to tie them into some more or less coherent story. But our databases are contaminated by outliers, composite examples ( true, not faked by sellers), throwbacks, accidental examples of items wandering into foreign territories, late imitations etc.
We have to rely on the opinions of our predecessors, and we all know how far-fetched some of them could have been.

In short, research of arms and armour can never be as academic and conclusive as, say, physics or molecular biology ( and those have their problems, too). We are dealing with the past, with history, and I do not have to remind anyone that we still are not sure about demise of Roman Empire or the meaning of French Revolution.

This is not to say that we should abandon all hope; just that we have to know out limitations.
ariel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th September 2018, 05:30 PM   #6
Mercenary
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Moscow, Russia
Posts: 428
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ariel
This is not to say that we should abandon all hope; just that we have to know out limitations.
Absolutely agree too
Mercenary is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th September 2018, 05:35 PM   #7
Bob A
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 443
Default

Absent the availability of living links to former cultures and artifacts, there is little on which to base a conclusion.

Some research of this nature has been conducted by perusal of old images; photographs, paintings, statuary and so forth. Those who experienced it are silent, leaving only artifacts from which to extrapolate.

The notion of a vast, empty puzzle table is exact. Collectors, accumulators and scholars all work to populate the table, and all contribute what they can. What is written is sometimes correct, often not. Traders in antique cultural artifacts have long influenced the language - and therefore the conceptualisation - of this research. We've seen this here. Even museum curators have not infrequently gotten it wrong.

We live in fortunate times for research, as a planet-wide information system is being implemented. Availability of information (and disinformation, alas) has never been greater. Communications between isolated individuals with common interests has laid the groundwork for a far more extensive study of obscure areas of interest and endeavor.

The effort now seems to consist in populating the puzzle table with pieces, and establishing frameworks within which the pieces can be organised. In time, it is to be hoped that documentation from the source cultures can be found, processed and translated to aid in the creation of filters through which artifacts may be viewed, and perhaps understood, in a fashion that approximates their long-lost original reality.

So far we have the beginning of he creation of tools for the study; expanding and refining the available information continues. The more varied viewpoints that can be brought to bear on the topics of interest, the better. Sorting through the resulting glut of information and misinformation will continue to be the ongoing challenge.
Bob A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th September 2018, 06:24 PM   #8
Jens Nordlunde
Member
 
Jens Nordlunde's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,718
Default

Bob,
Thank you very much for commenting - and for claryfiyng that the key words are - information and disinformation.
Jens
Jens Nordlunde is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th September 2018, 08:26 PM   #9
Bob A
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 443
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde
Bob,
Thank you very much for commenting - and for claryfiyng that the key words are - information and disinformation.
Jens
Jens, you're welcome.

Certainly disinformation is rife on the internet, but misinformation is also prevalent, and bears a more innocent connotation. All three apply, as I understand the situation.
Bob A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th September 2018, 05:29 PM   #10
Mercenary
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Moscow, Russia
Posts: 428
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde
Mercenary,
So I dont agree with you, as someone who has gotten his first sword, and used ten maybe twenty hours to find out what it is (due to lack of books), will likely call it a research
I agree. It is very good if someone want to know something more. It is a real research. Private research for myself.
Mercenary is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:47 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.