New Research on Old Collections in Southwest Asian Archaeology
Proceedings of the Workshop Held at the British Museum, London, 31 July – 2 August, 2023
Edited by Mette Bangsborg Thuesen Edited by Giulia Russo
Paperback (Published)
(July 2026)
ISBN: 9781805832812
6.85 x 9.69 inches
Price: $42.00
On back order
This volume compiles studies by early‑career scholars on reinterpreting legacy collections from Southwest Asia. Focusing on object biographies, provenance and archival research, it highlights the value of overlooked materials and promotes their use as a sustainable approach in archaeology.
New Research on Old Collections in Southwest Asian Archaeology presents a compilation of papers by early career researchers exploring the potential and challenges of working with legacy collections which often remain overlooked in museum and archival stores. These papers stem from a workshop held at the British Museum over three consecutive days in July and August 2023 and offer different approaches to object biographies, provenance research, and the reinterpretation of well-known sites and archival material. By (re-)engaging with these overlooked materials, the volume positions research on legacy collections as a meaningful, sustainable research practice in archaeology of ancient Southwest Asia.
List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface – St John Simpson
Chapter 1: Introduction – Mette Bangsborg Thuesen & Giulia Russo
SECTION I: UNDERSTANDING THE PRODUCTION AND USE-LIFE OF OBJECTS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
Chapter 2: Writing the biography of artefacts retired in museums. A methodological approach to the study of Mesopotamian statuary – Imane Achouche
Chapter 3: A multidisciplinary approach to the study of zoomorphic figurines from Ur – Enrica Inversi
Chapter 4: Gaining clarity from old glass: Some surprising results from heritage collections at the British Museum – Charlotte Nash-Pye
SECTION II: RE-ASSESSING OLD DOCUMENTATION AND PERSPECTIVES ON ARCHIVAL AND COLLECTION PRACTICES
Chapter 5: Plain yet significant: The making of a new typology of unglazed pottery from Takht-e Suleiman – Mette Bangsborg Thuesen
Chapter 6: New approaches to old stratigraphy: The Sequence-of-Events analysis – Georg Cyrus
Chapter 7: ‘Basements with insatiable appetites’ - Archaeological collections, museum storerooms, and sustainability – Giulia Russo
- Edited by Mette Bangsborg Thuesen
- Edited by Giulia Russo
Other Titles in this Series
Stone Tools in the Ancient Near East and Egypt
Ground stone tools, rock-cut installations and stone vessels from Prehistory to Late Antiquity
What Difference Does Time Make? Papers from the Ancient and Islamic Middle East and China in Honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Midwest Branch of the American Oriental Society
Composite Artefacts in the Ancient Near East
Exhibiting an imaginative materiality, showing a genealogical nature
Penser l’espace en Mésopotamie : contributions à la compréhension spatiale à travers les aménagements
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Par la bêche et le stylet! Cultures et sociétés syro-mésopotamiennes
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Mortals, Deities and Divine Symbols: Rethinking Ancient Images from the Levant to Mesopotamia
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