'ANTHROPOLOGIST'S PURSE' SHOWCASES CURRENCY IN HISTORY|中研院特展 呈現各個時代貨幣多樣性

Using a traditional drilling machine, a hole is made in the shell surface, and then shells are stringed together, becoming a beautiful necklace. This is what the Solomon Island's Langalanga people still use as money, for transactions as currency. ==KUO PEI-I, Assis Rsr at Institute of Ethonology, Academia Sinica== The shells can be used as currency for small local transactions. The bigger shell necklace, will be used as betrothal gifts or to pay for larger transactions. Since ancient times, human society has used a variety of objects as currency. In early times New Guinea used salt as a currency. Stones, tobacco, metal, and even recently, in United States' prisons, instant noodles have been used as a currency to trade goods and services. With the evolution of time, now there are even more developed currencies such as Bitcoins, virtual coins, and even "time money" trading. ==KUO PEI-I, Assis Rsr at Institute of Ethonology, Academia Sinica== There has been many and different kinds of currencies being used in the world in human history. We should look at the variety of these currencies and think about what makes the currency valuable and who is determining how much these currencies worth? In fact, money is no longer limited to coins and banknotes.The Academia Sinica's special Anthropologist's Wallet Exhibit presents the diversity of types of money and, through hands on activities, aim to change the public's impression of the currency, and the relationships between currency and culture. TRANSLATED BY：STELLA TU 貨幣的交易，不單只有硬幣和現鈔！中研院舉辦「人類學家的錢包」，展示世界各地，在歷史上曾經出現過的交易媒介，像是鹽、菸草、金屬和貝珠，以及隨著時代演變，發展出的比特幣、乙太幣，另類的貨幣，要讓民眾看見交易媒介的多樣性。 用傳統鑽孔機，在貝殼表面，鑽個洞，再一一串起來，成了美麗項鍊，這就是目前所羅門群島Langalanga人，至今還在使用的貝珠錢，能在地方上，當作交易的貨幣。 ==中研院民族所副研究員 郭佩宜== 這個貝珠錢　 在地方上是可以做為 小額的交易使用　 那比較大串的貝珠錢　 它可以做為聘禮 或者是說　 比較大的支付的時候使用 人類社會從古至今，出現過多樣的交易媒介，像是從早期，新幾內亞就曾經以「鹽」來當成貨幣，還有像是石錢、菸草、金屬，甚至到近期，在美國監獄中，也開始以「泡麵」，當作交易服務的貨幣，而隨著時代演變，現在更發展出像比特幣、乙太幣，甚至是時間貨幣等交易模式。 ==中研院民族所副研究員 郭佩宜== 人類在歷史上　 在世界上不同的地方　 一直到現在為止　 都一直有各種各樣 不一樣的貨幣出現　 那所以我們應該去多看看 這些貨幣的多樣性　 從這些多樣性裡面 從這個多樣性 再反過來思考說 到底什麼是貨幣 貨幣的價值是從哪裡來的　 誰決定貨幣的價值是什麼 貨幣的型態，不再侷限於硬幣和鈔票，中研院特別舉辦「人類學家的錢包」，來呈現貨幣的多樣性，並透過體驗活動，要翻轉民眾對交易媒介的既有印象，重新思考貨幣的文化意義和權力關係。 記者 蔡慧玲 應磊奇 台北