Mirrors, a Mean to Look into Cultures

Summary

This is an abstract from the "And They Look into the Mirror for Answers: Mirror Analysis to Understand Its Holder" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

No matter what material they were made of, stone, metal, or crystal, or if it was cheap or expensive (gold, silver, copper, bronze, obsidian, or pyrite), mirrors are one of the most fascinating artifacts made by artisans in the past. The users of these items were normally high-class members of society (political figures, high military members, merchants, holy men, or priests), and due to their complex manufacture, they were not easy or cheap to get their hands on them. Mirrors were considered a high-status item and used as a commodity for commercial, ceremonial, and even political performances. Mirror studies have gained a lot of attention lately in order to understand how they were made, who used them, how they used them, and/or what they mean for holders.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• And They Look into the Mirror for Answers: Mirror Analysis to Understand Its Holder   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38084.0