Session: #1048

Content:

Portable objects and small finds constitute a large and important body of evidence from the ancient world. While portable personal possessions could be retained over significant periods for economic reasons, this explanation does not address all instances. By their nature, these smaller objects could easily change hands (e.g., sold to new owners or passed down from one family member to another). The focus of this session is on the meeting of material and memory. In particular, it will look at the identification and interpretation of valued personal possessions (e.g., adornment, tableware, souvenirs) – that is objects that were worn, used, and above all, retained due to their connection with specific individuals or events.

Antiques, heirlooms, and memorabilia were all tied to memories – of earlier periods, past owners, or particular events. They were valued, respectively, for their age or the fame of their maker, for the connection to the people from whom they were received, and for their association with specific places or events. The session seeks papers focused on how these objects can be identified in the archaeological record (wear patterns, signs of repair, anachronistic styles, specific motifs, etc.), what this can tell us about their role in linking different generations or specific communities, and the value that material culture held beyond economics.

Potential topics include:

 What do we know about the market for memorabilia and souvenirs in the ancient world and how it relates to ideas of memory?
 What do literary and epigraphic sources reveal about the passing of objects between individuals and the importance of personal connections?
 While some objects were made explicitly for the purpose (e.g., the fourth/fifth-century AD Sevso plate), how did other objects become heirlooms?
 How can we address the changing meaning of objects as they changed hands?

Session: #1048

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