Guides to Object Study

Some ethnographic items from the Pacific world curated at Stanford University Archaeology Collections. Stanford University Archaeology Collections of the Stanford Archaeology Center

 

Collected objects are a special kind of primary source, and there are many different ways to approach their hands-on study.

Items curated at Stanford University Archaeology Collections represent diverse cultures and values, have been a part of multiple historic moments, and have impacted many people during their journeys from communities of origin to Stanford's collections. These study guides can help researchers appreciate the material and artistic complexity of artifacts and think critically about the meanings of material culture.  

From SUAC:

A GUIDE TO MULTI-SENSORY ARTIFACT STUDY: Experiential Observation + Synesthetic Analysis + Polysemous Interpretation

A GUIDE TO OBJECT BIOGRAPHY

From Others:

A Guide to Looking: Researching Objects at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology

Teaching with Objects and Photographs: Supporting and Enhancing Your Curriculum, Mathers Museum of World Cultures

Museum Education: Learning with Objects, B.C. Museums Association

AAA GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING SCHOLARSHIP IN THE REALM OF PRACTICING, APPLIED, AND PUBLIC INTEREST ANTHROPOLOGY

 

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