Commodities

This part of the project seeks to integrate and question the movement of materials through the use of chemical analysis (elemental and isotopic), without neglecting the “idea” aspect linked to shared object forms.

The movement of raw materials and (semi-)finished objects is not simply a question of provenance (where did the raw materials come from), accessibility or trade. It is inherently a question of human agency: why are certain raw material choices made? What people groups are involved in the movement of materials? What role does recycling and re-use play in this picture and how can we account for it? Etc.

The relationship of people with materials changes over time as do their awareness of the places (provenance) things are from. The aim of this project is to look at these relations diachronically, integrating information from different material categories organic and inorganic (which in and of itself is innovative), link it to the people who are the driving force of moving materials and the places things come from. The places involved in exchange or trade are in turn shaped by these activities (as evidenced in many place names) and hence can serve to help us interpret these movements.