Aims & Interests

This network assembles interdisciplinary scholars whose work brings material culture to the fore. Their research is wide-ranging, from ancient times till today, and spans six continents (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe).

Why do objects matter?

We are and have always been surrounded by things, and things, in turn, shape and have shaped our living experience. Material culture and the built environment structure our movement and lives, create a sense of place and belonging, encode human emotions, materialise memory, and express meanings and uses. They are stand-ins for the people who once used and inhabited them. Things have a stubborn presence in life and death and, most importantly, they allow for bottom-up approaches: archives privilege some voices and silence others, whereas material remains speak for the reality of everyone's life.