Paper short abstract:

The vast significance of water has been the subject of discussion for many cultures and has been examined in the multitude of different ways. The paper is a social and cultural examination of the water culture and its material objects, wells. I will focus on water, its everyday experiences and people’s memories in terms of water culture and its present value. From this point of view, I will compare the cultural and social significance of wells and argue that the exterior surface of these material objects bear personal marks that are an important part of local culture in Kyrgyzstan. Furthermore, there is an anthropological investigation into how the villagers organise themselves in regard to the water, water supply and water traditions.

Paper long abstract:

In my presentation, I will focus on people’s everyday objects such as wells in terms of their material culture and present social value. I shall compare their cultural and social significance and argue that the exterior surface of these objects bear personal marks that are an important part of local culture and everyday life. This observation aims to make people more sensitised to their everyday objects (or their ancestry) and furthermore establish the prospective value of these objects for society, local art and culture as a whole. Firstly, I will argue that the introduction of water mains in the households of Kyzyl-Oi would result in more than just the wells losing their functionality. I will explore how their functionality has changed in overtime and how noticeable the changes have been. Furthermore, I will focus on the wells in Kyrgyzstan and its everyday experiences with them in terms of their water value, water supply and water traditions. Secondly, I will try to explain that the way people think about these objects and what they connect to them shapes their perception and thus their understanding of them. The objects, with their surface markings and individual parts embody the thoughts of the local people and thus are an important part of local culture. As examples I will use photos of wells that I have taken myself (photos of marks, scratches, holes, flakes) and the discolouration of the well’s surface. The objects are linked to personal associations, which are to be understood as personal reflections on the perception of the objects. By employing this idea, we arrive at a new view on people’s perception; how they look at, recognise and describe objects. Only when we consider both perspectives, we can understand the objects in their entirety.