MPhil Archaeology - Material Culture and Social Agency

University of Exeter

Material culture and social agency research at Exeter blends theoretical and methodological concerns with interdisciplinary perspectives, aiming at understanding the relationship between people and things both in the past and in the contemporary world.Our current research covers a range of themes:Organic and inorganic materials and technologiesThe sensory worlds of prehistoric societiesThe acquisition and transmission of technical skills and craft traditionsThe circulation and exchange of artefacts and materials in ancient societiesIdentity, representation, and material cultureHeritage and valueThe presentation and representation of archaeological materials and artefactsThe materiality of socio-political complexity: feasting and monumentalityThe origins and development of complex stone flaking technologiesIdentification of tool uses in relation to changing land use patterns Iron smelting technologies and their relationships to Iron Age interactions across Europe and South Asia Replacement of Neanderthals by Modern Humans in Eurasia Early hominin brain developmentMany of our research projects involve active collaboration with scholars from other disciplines including classics and ancient history, anthropology, geography, arts and performance, material sciences, and digital technologies.