Each and every loss becomes an instance of ultimate tragedy-something that once was, but shall never be known to us. The hump of the giant deer-as a nonfossilizable item of soft anatomy-should have fallen into the maw of erased history. But our ancestors provided a wondrous rescue, and we should rejoice mightily. Every new item can instruct us; every unexpected object possesses beauty for its own sake; every rescue from history's great shredding machine is-and I don't know how else to say this-a holy act of salvation for a bit of totality.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Preserving fossils and artifacts rescues lost history and offers unique beauty and instruction.
- In plain terms
- Saving old objects from destruction helps us learn and appreciate the past.
- What can you take from it?
- Treasure historical finds as they save us from total forgetfulness.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What does saving an object mean?
- How does history shape us?
Another view
Not every lost item can be saved or provides equal value.
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