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Thinking about it a bit more, I was being reactive. I want to underscore what I think was Karlis's main point - that knowledge is the important thing in life and in culture, more so than the things that convey it. It is sobering to think that the humblest penny in our pocket, the tiniest bead on a necklace will outlive us - we are but temporary custodians. My own feeling is that when we become custodians of something old, valuable, unusual, we have a moral duty first to protect it, but also - and increasingly with the magnitude of these qualities - to display and inform. In this way we inspire and encourage others to value these objects, to learn, and perhaps discover new truths. An old bead on a necklace (or given to a child) can start a conversation, plant a seed. And who is it that discovers what factoids we may know and pass on? The archaeologist. It is those who dig for knowledge, not for sustenance or profit, who create what is eternally valuable: knowledge. Agreed fully, these are the heroes in our story.
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