New Research on Old Collections in Southwest Asian Archaeology

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