Design and Archaeology - The Social Imaginary in Iron Age and Early Roman Europe

The application of design practice and theory has received little attention in the field of archaeology, despite the close and interdisciplinary connection of both disciplines working with material culture. Christina Unwin provides an up-to-date study that attempts to fill this lacunae, by using a series of case studies from the Iron Age and early Roman period (c. 500 BC - c. AD 200) in European countries. Giving the reader a concise overview of the relevant terminology and approaches in design theory, Unwin then applies these treatments in an archaeological framework to reveal understudied aspects of how we can understand ancient material culture. Design theory reveals that a material object can be seen beyond its functional purpose and use, and asks archaeologists to rethink and their interpretations and approaches to ''things'' from a new perspective. This, in turn, enables the archaeologist to think about objects in terms of the people who made them, how they used them and how they interacted with them. This reformulation of the way we think about objects brings Iron Age and Roman artefacts out of the context of the elite using them, and places them within a wider community of the craftsmen who were involved in designing them. As a result, this book is a significant intervention in the exploration of design and archaeological intersections across material culture.

Product details

• Authors: Christina Unwin, Unwin Christina
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 08.01.2026
• EAN: 9781350443846
• ISBN: 978-1-350-44384-6
• No. of pages: 288
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Pre and early history; Product Design, HISTORY / Ancient / General, Society & culture: general, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Archaeology, DESIGN / History & Criticism, Archaeology, Ancient Rome, Material Culture, Social groups, communities and identities, Iron Age