33: Written in Copper: Charters, Kinship, and Medieval South Asia with Dr. Mekhola Gomes

This month, we chat with Dr. Mekhola Gomes, Assistant Professor of History and Asian Languages and Civilizations at Amherst College, about copper plate land grants, kinship, and what it means to study the Middle Ages outside of Europe. Dr. Gomes discusses her book project on how kinship and property shaped early medieval India between the third and eighth centuries, and reflects on how medieval studies is expanding its horizons. We also talk about the joys of slowly, painstakingly reading ancient inscriptions, teaching the Ramayana to undergraduates, and why understanding the past on its own terms still matters.Reach out to Dr. Gomes via BlueSky: [email protected]@oldthingsarefun.bsky.social