Archaeologies of Materiality

Drawing on social theory and offering numerous case studies, Archaeologies of Materiality is one of the first books to explore materiality across time and space. Demonstrates the saliency of materiality by linking it to concepts of landscape, technology, embodiment, ritual, and heritage. Offers archaeological case studies ranging from prehistoric to contemporary contexts, from Neo-Assyria, South Africa, Argentina, Panama, and the United States. Explores the idea of a material universe that is socially conceived and constructed, but that also shapes human experience in daily practice.

List of Figures. Acknowledgments. Notes on Contributors. 1. Introduction: Object Orientations: Lynn Meskell. 2. Mastering Matters: Magical Sense and the Apotropaic Figure Worlds: Carolyn Nakamura. 3. The Social life of Rocks: Lindsay Weiss. 4. With a Hint of Paris in the Mouth: Fetishized Toothbrushes or the Sensuous Experience of Modernity in Late 19th-Century Bogotá: Felipe Gaitán. 5. Faith in Objects: American Indian Object Lessons at the World in Boston: Erin Hasinoff. 6. The Texture of Things: Objects, People, and Social Spaces in Argentine Prehistory: Marisa Lazzari. 7. Building an Architecture of Power: Electricity in Annapolis, Maryland: Matt Palus. 8. Materiality vs. the Volcano: The Hitherto Unthinkable Wildness of the Volcán Barú, Panamá: Karen Holmberg. Afterword: Daniel Miller. Index