Measuring the quality of personal goods: challenges and opportunities for the archaeology of consumption

Summary

The practice of the systematic indexation of quality in 19th-century mass-produced goods offers a new approach for historical archaeology and studies of consumption. This paper will discuss current efforts to expand the systematic measurement of quality of archaeological goods from ceramic and glass to personal goods, specifically footwear and and pressed-metal ornaments (including buckles, buttons and brooches) known as the ‘Birmingham wares’. This has the potential to address another important area of consumption—that of the individual rather than the household—but presents new challenges with regard to artefact preservation and assemblage diversification.

Cite this Record

Measuring the quality of personal goods: challenges and opportunities for the archaeology of consumption. Penny Crook. Presented at Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology (ASHA), Geelong, Melbourne, Australia. 2015 ( tDAR id: 455187) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8455187

Temporal Coverage

None: 1788 to 1901

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Penny Crook

Record Identifiers

ARC Identification Number(s): DE140101095

File Information

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Crook_ASHA_2015.pdf 219.76kb Dec 17, 2019 2:44:40 PM Public