IMPULSE, BACKGROUND, METHODOLOGY

My impulse to pursue this particular endeavor for an independent study project arouse from two primary sources. First: I have always had an intense interest in archaeology; in studying the material remains that history’s many cultures have left behind, and the relationship between these older elements and the present state of things. Second: my opportunities to engage in the "real" activities of that discipline have been limited, due to geographic placement and the fact that Pomona Colleges Anthropology program emphasizes the cultural end of the field. In Kathmandu, I was surrounded by thousands of what might most expressively be called "archaeological treasures" that were also important elements of the present culture. It seemed a perfect opportunity to pursue this aim.

From this my project took on another two-fold direction. As I wondered the streets of the city, be it on fieldtrips or on my own, I would stop to look at one of the thousands of icons that dot the streets, temples, and courtyards. After a while I was able to make some superficial analysis of them, i.e. "this is Garuda, Parvati, etc..." but the images always contained scores, if not hundreds, of other details, that I just knew meant something, but wasn’t quite sure what. Why the arm in that particular position? Why that many arms? Why does this Buddhist image look just like that Hindu one but go under a different name? What’s with all the surrounding images? Does this tell a story or is it just a representation of an individual (diety or other?). When were these made? By whom? For whom? Etc...

A lot of questions, most of which remain unanswered. One of the problems with delving into complex societies to which one is an absolute newcomer is that there is always something more that one seems to need to know. I discovered this while researching a five page paper of Mayan calendrics last year. Calander systems lead to astronomy, glyphs, math, mythology, religious practices, language until I had enough data to easily write a thirty-pager, or get caught in an intellectual pursuit that could potentially take a lifetime. The same happened while researching in Patan. Soon I discovered that I needed to read the Vedas, the Ramayana, the Bagadva-gita, along with any scholarly tomes I could lay my hands on, as well as learn Hindi, Newari, Indian/Nepali history, sculpting and a score of others. Not only do broad and general questions come up, but so do small and specific ones, so that for every query involving The Nature Of Hinduism, there was also a question of why here in this spot, at this time, with this stone?

Do to time constraints I have not done all these things, and thus many of my questions have remained unanswered. This in itself constituted a large part of the learning experience of the project, that is: it’s one thing to say to oneself "there are a lot of things to learn," and another to find oneself in the mire of it, realizing the impossibility of the total task and attempting to follow the path of greatest overall profit. So even though I won’t be able to answer half of the questions that I have proposed, I have been quite pleased with the number that I have.

Another aspect of the project, aside from coming up with empirical data and "factual" findings, was an attempt to teach myself a little archaeological method. My on-site experience up to that point had been nil, and aside from reading on my own, my education on the subject has been extremely limited. So with a firm belief in the scientific method in one hand, and trusty insta-matic camera, notebook, and ruler in the other, I attempted to put together as repectable a survey as possible. It was certainly not as easy as one would like it to be. In going over my notes, gross gaps are apparent, and quite a few of the datam are iffy in their exactitude.

Basically, what I attempted to do was this: locate a location in which I could study a great number and variety of icons extensively. Photograph and measure the statues and the space that surrounded them. Research as much as possible on site and attempt to utilize what I had learned from one site on another, as a form of verification. Fill in the areas that I knew I would not be able to adequatelly research while in Nepal upon my arrival back at home.

I was fairly successful on most counts. I found a spot in Patan, in one of the palace courtyards, that contained a great number of statues of the type I wished to study. The city itself is littered with similiar images that I could compare them to. Even though the courtyard was in Patan’s main tourist area, it was often deserted, so I could work in relative peace (and also not thrust my inquisitive nose too far into active worship sites). I was fortunate enough to get ahold of a few books that were able to help me along the way, while there, but extensive research was impossible as to work through any real written Nepali time-effectivelly was beyond my capabilities even when my language was at its best, and English volumes were limited. Upon arriving back at Pomona, I discovered that the literature available here is not extensive, but fortunately it is adequate to fulfill the needs of my much reduced (since it’s initial inception) plans.