Material Manipulations: Beads and Cloth in the French Colonies

Loren, Diana DiPaolo

doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-0498-0_7

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In contrast, reusable resources like beads were displayed in these settings, transmitting sensorial meaning to one's neighbors. The objects incorporated into these practices were determined by local norms, and established "valuable" material classes in social negotiations forming a communal sense of taste (e.g., Galke, 2004;Loren, 2009;Silliman, 2009;Turgeon, 1997). It is important to acknowledge that a material object's own identity or function is situational.…”

Section: Materials Culture and The Theories Of Public Displaymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The large quantity of beads at Juffure, while not conducive to chronological interpretation, provides insight into trends in taste (i.e. consumer preference) and valuation (social and economic), (e.g., Bourdieu, 1984;Guyer, 2004;Lesure, 1999;Loren, 2009;Spencer-Wood, 1987;Weiner, 1992) from the onset of the Atlantic trade, until its decline in the early nineteenth century.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Personal Adornment and Expressions of Status: Beads and the Gambia River’s Atlantic Trade

Gijanto

2011

Int J Histor Archaeol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The presence of glass trade beads at Atlantic trade period sites is often thought to provide limited information for the analyst. Several archaeologists working in West Africa have addressed the difficulty of using beads as chronological markers, let alone using these objects to discern local patterns of demand, preference, or consumption. Overall, few scholars have moved beyond the development of descriptive catalogues to determine what information can be ascertained from bead collections other than chronological data. At Juffure on the Gambia River, bead attributes such as shape, color, and size inform the analyst of how change in the demand for and availability of beads were tied to changing local notions of taste and value.

show abstract

Section: Materials Culture and The Theories Of Public Displaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Personal Adornment and Expressions of Status: Beads and the Gambia River’s Atlantic Trade

Gijanto

2011

Int J Histor Archaeol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Picking up the Pieces: Intercultural Interaction in the Great Lakes Region Examined through Copper-Base Metal Artifacts

Walder

2018

Int J Histor Archaeol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

New Insights into Use-Wear Development in Bodily Ornaments Through the Study of Ethnographic Collections

Falci

Cuisin

Delpuech

et al. 2018

J Archaeol Method Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The use of microwear analysis has made substantial contributions to the study of archaeological bodily ornaments. However, limitations persist with regard to the interpretation of use and the reconstruction of systems of attachment, hampering a holistic understanding of the diversity of past bodily adornment. This is because the complexities of ornament biographies and the resulting wear traces cannot be grasped exclusively from the study of experimental reference collections. In this paper, we propose to bridge this gap in interpretation by systematically researching ethnographic collections. We conducted a microscopic study of 38 composite ornaments from lowland South America housed at the Musée du quai Branly (Paris). These objects involve organic, biomineral, and inorganic components, attached through different string configurations. The combined use of optical and 3D digital microscopy at different magnification ranges provided a thorough understanding of wear trace formation, distribution, and characterization. We demonstrate how individual beads develop characteristic use-wear in relation to one another and to the strings. We further challenge common assumptions made in the analysis of archaeological ornaments. In sum, this research addresses methodological and interpretative issues in the study of bodily adornment at large, by providing insight into the biographies of objects that were actually worn in a lived context. In the future, our results can be applied as reference for a more effective understanding of the use of ornaments worldwide.

show abstract

Material Manipulations: Beads and Cloth in the French Colonies

Cited by 7 publications

References 18 publications

Personal Adornment and Expressions of Status: Beads and the Gambia River’s Atlantic Trade

Personal Adornment and Expressions of Status: Beads and the Gambia River’s Atlantic Trade

Picking up the Pieces: Intercultural Interaction in the Great Lakes Region Examined through Copper-Base Metal Artifacts

New Insights into Use-Wear Development in Bodily Ornaments Through the Study of Ethnographic Collections

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About