{"id":324857,"date":"2021-08-15T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-15T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-blockchain-could-have-saved-the-library-of-alexandria\/"},"modified":"2021-08-15T13:30:00","modified_gmt":"2021-08-15T10:30:00","slug":"how-blockchain-could-have-saved-the-library-of-alexandria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-blockchain-could-have-saved-the-library-of-alexandria\/","title":{"rendered":"# How blockchain could have saved the Library of Alexandria"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a23a320f061a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a23a320f061a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-blockchain-could-have-saved-the-library-of-alexandria\/#Blockchain_as_a_data_keeper\" >Blockchain as a data keeper<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-blockchain-could-have-saved-the-library-of-alexandria\/#How_to_help\" >How to help<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong># How blockchain could have saved the Library of Alexandria  <\/strong>&#8221;<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cointelegraph.com\/images\/840_aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy5jb2ludGVsZWdyYXBoLmNvbS91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjEtMDgvOWFmZjE0ZTAtYjY3YS00YWMxLWFkMmUtMjcyZmJkZTIzZWQ5LmpwZw==.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content\" data-v-128018ef>The study of history and ancient people is immensely important to preserving the knowledge passed down through the generations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the significance of the knowledge is particularly acute when it is lost. With tragedies such as the fire of the Library of Alexandria, or the pillaging of the House of Wisdom in ancient Baghdad, or the more recent losses of artifacts at the Iraq Museum, perspectives were lost, advancements in philosophy and literature were forgotten, and languages and translations vanished from the earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As we look to preserve our history, how can we safeguard the artifacts of our heritage from disaster?<\/p>\n<p>Using blockchain <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> to keep a record of the data stored on a decentralized cloud service could be exactly what the historical and archive industries need to protect our collective human history from destruction, pillage and faulty record-keeping.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Blockchain_as_a_data_keeper\"><\/span>Blockchain as a data keeper<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The archive industry in many sub-sections is underfunded and lacks the means to properly care for the data being held. As told in this 2014 declaration <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www2.archivists.org\/statements\/issue-brief-adequate-funding-of-government-archives-and-archival-programs\">petitioning<\/a> for more funding for the United States Archive, it is clear that there is a lack of funding on many fronts, which could result in the loss of physical and digital records.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An alternative solution is to store data directly on the blockchain. As David Vorick, CEO of Skynet and co-founder of Sia, said to Cointelegraph, \u201ca major advantage of using a blockchain is that you can build on an open marketplace, which ensures fair pricing for everyone.\u201d This prevents third parties from taking part of the funding, while also making sure that community members who are passionate about protecting their heritage can fund a storage system directly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Vorick further stated that \u201cif you depend on external infrastructure, you have given your infrastructure provider the ability to fully disrupt your business \u2014 something that they will h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ily use to their advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Often, concerns arise over the legitimacy, security and the privacy of stored information. Many documents and records are preserved for the people of the community and, therefore, need to be safe and secure for the sake of their heritage. The nature of blockchain-based data keepers protect information not by storing it in centralized databases like some of the leading organizations do, thus making it more susceptible to data breaches, but by dividing files \u201cinto multiple pieces and send them to different servers or nodes, thereby reducing the possibility of external control over user data.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another important aspect of archive storage on the blockchain is the immutability of the document itself. \u201cBut online archives are also vulnerable to the removal of documents in ways that are impossible to detect,\u201d noted The <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science<\/a> Research Council. It also <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/items.ssrc.org\/parameters\/challenges-to-archives-in-an-age-of-digital-abundance\/\">recorded<\/a> that back in 2001, writers were given the rights to an online archive of their own works, but other parties were able to go in and delete the writers\u2019 works, all without disclosing the information or with any indication as to why an article was deleted. Articles and publications have been lost because some articles were not deemed worthy to be saved.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Blockchain archives could store data across nodes all over the world to make sure that it is a permanent fixture on the blockchain and, thus, in history.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This, conveniently, leads to the next part of the benefits of blockchain technology: giving credit where credit is due by establishing an immutable record of ownership. Through using a blockchain, there will be no doubt as to who owns what \u2014 like a digital passport for documents and records.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Blockchain enthusiasts often explain that \u201cimmutability provides integrity,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/fluree\/immutability-and-the-enterprise-an-immense-value-proposition-98cd3bf900b1\">protecting<\/a> who owns the document and who has and had access to it. For example, nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, are causing the art industry to take another look at ownership rights, \u201callowing artists to protect their creations from falsification and duplicity in the digital realm.\u201d By using this same idea with archive and data collection, there will always be a way of making sure the records are not tampered with, proving the original owner and original format.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Related: <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>How does blockchain work? Everything there is to know<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_help\"><\/span>How to help<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In hindsight, we are able to look back in history to see what went wrong and what could have helped.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While this could be to prevent other similar problems from occurring, or simply out of curiosity, this practice could save our dying languages and keep the memories of people alive for the upcoming generations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Imagine if all of the records lost in the great fire of the Library of Alexandria \u2014 or those lost in the destruction of its temple, the Serapeum, 500 years later \u2014 were kept on a blockchain. What information would we study and learn that could have changed modern society forever?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During the pillaging of the House of Wisdom of Ancient Baghdad, which held some of the world\u2019s finest translations, philosophical and religious texts were destroyed and dumped into the Tigris, causing it to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/historyofyesterday.com\/the-time-when-the-house-of-wisdom-was-drowned-to-death-bayt-al-hikmah-baghdad-mongols-abbasid-caliphate-e78c75c31e9c\">flow<\/a> \u201cblack for half a year because of the ink from the thousands of books drowned to their metaphorical deaths.\u201d Losing these precious records has done unfathomable damage to our understanding of humanity, which has been often historically seen as a way to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/mow.arquivonacional.gov.br\/images\/pdf\/Lost-Memory---Libraries-and-Archives-destroyed-in-the-20th-Century---1996.pdf\">weaken<\/a> heritage and rewrite narratives. Therefore, according to \u201cLost Memories &#8211; Libraries and Archives Destroyed in the Twentieth Century\u201d by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, \u201cmeasures must be taken to preserve our written heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The use of immutable blockchain technology to keep records secure could have been immensely beneficial during the 2018 fire that scorched through the National Museum of Brazil and destroyed invaluable records of our history and works of art. Dalton de Souza Amorim, a professor at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/09\/04\/science\/brazil-museum-fire.html\">noted<\/a> that \u201cthe anthropological collections were the worst loss,\u201d which were recordings of indigenous languages that are now gone forever.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While blockchain technology cannot protect physical objects from accidental or deliberate damages, the data from these objects and researchers that is recorded, much like recordings of people speaking now forgotten languages, can be protected.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>American anthropologist Clifford Geertz <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nideffer.net\/classes\/GCT_RPI_S14\/readings\/Geertz_Religon_as_a_Cultural_System_.pdf\">stated<\/a> in his essay \u201cReligion as a Cultural System\u201d that culture is \u201can historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and their attitudes toward life,\u201d and therefore, protecting the records of language is necessary for protecting people\u2019s cultures.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Putting ownership on a blockchain would soften the ongoing debate on who owns what regardless of who found it and who now holds it. This rings especially true when thinking about the recent success of Iraq and Egypt in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/hobby-lobby-president-to-return-11-500-antiquities-to-iraq-and-egypt-11585324494\">claiming<\/a> 11,500 artifacts back after a fight to prove ownership and \u201ccoordinate the return of around 5,000 ancient papyrus fragments and 6,500 ancient clay objects because the artifacts lack reliable provenance, or ownership histories.\u201d By using a blockchain, countries and communities will no longer need to claim ownership of any documents or records since all of the proper information will be recorded and safe from tampering.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Now that we are equipped with blockchain technology, we can position ourselves to protect and pass on our knowledge and history to future generations without the fear of potentially losing records, materials and data forever. If we know how vital blockchain technology is at keeping and retrieving information, imagine how many Libraries of Alexandria could be saved in the future.<\/p>\n<p><template data-name=\"subscription_form\" data-type=\"markets_outlook\"><\/template><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/how-blockchain-could-have-saved-the-library-of-alexandria\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;# How blockchain could have saved the Library of Alexandria &#8221; The study of history and ancient people is immensely important to preserving the knowledge passed down through the generations.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the significance of the knowledge is particularly acute when it is lost. With tragedies such as the fire of the Library of Alexandria, or&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":324858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.cointelegraph.com\/images\/1200_aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy5jb2ludGVsZWdyYXBoLmNvbS91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjEtMDgvOWFmZjE0ZTAtYjY3YS00YWMxLWFkMmUtMjcyZmJkZTIzZWQ5LmpwZw==.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[74894,75554,71294,4965],"class_list":["post-324857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-blockchain","tag-dlt","tag-records","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=324857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324857\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/324858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=324857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=324857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}