Archeo-philately: New Dimensions in Heritage Studies

Abstract

Although it is known as the ‘King of Hobbies’; philately is not merely stamp collection but a serious study of stamps, covers, cancellations & postal stationery. A small piece of paper has the ability to reveal in depth details of the past. Heritage is that which is inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations, but not until long ago, it was primarily used to describe that which people inherited legally or which belonged to one by reason of birth; however, over the years, the definition has expanded to encompass cultural traditions, natural environs & historical buildings. The archaeology of any country showcases its rich cultural, anthropological and architectural development through the ages. It is the study and analysis of all artifacts, architecture and bio-facts of the earlier civilizations. Through philately the natural and cultural heritage of a nation can be brought to the attention of common man. This paper gives a brief overview on how philately can be used as a very effective teaching aid in learning history and archeology and it essentially speaks about the 32 World Heritage Sites depicted on Indian postal stamps, covers, post cards and the likes; of these, 25 are cultural sites, while the remaining 7 are natural sites. The uniqueness of this work, lies in the fact that these collections of stamps are the only ones issued by any country, which depict monuments of all the major religions practiced in the country.