New Sensory Approaches to the Past - by Pamela Jordan & Sara Mura & Sue Hamilton (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From thick description to autoethnography, a collection of some of the latest investigatory methodologies in sensory heritage work.

In recent years, archaeologists and other researchers dealing with heritage sites have increasingly emphasized the fact that people in the past interacted with their natural and built environment through all of their senses. In turn, they have come to acknowledge the limits of research methods that rely solely on visual analysis. Presenting studies of historical environments from multiple fields, from archaeology to acoustics, through the lens of the senses, New Sensory Approaches to the Past showcases the latest developments in sensory research through real-world scenarios of human-environment connections. Interdisciplinary examples of diverse sensory in-situ studies will enable readers to replicate and enhance their own investigations. Further, the volume pushes beyond historically Western frameworks of sensory perception towards a more global understanding of the senses.

Review Quotes

"This much needed volume will be invaluable to those wanting to know how to do sensory archaeology. Be inspired by thick description, sensory field survey, autoethnography, multi-sensory objects, acoustic and olfactory sense-scapes applied to academic and community projects."-- "Susanna Harris, University of Glasgow"

"This volume is a breath of fresh air with a "methodological transparency" to sensory approaches to the past exemplified through an exciting and diverse range of case studies from multiple disciplinary perspectives."-- "Gavin Lucas, University of Iceland"

About the Author

Pamela Jordan is a registered architect, a doctoral candidate at the University of Amsterdam, and cofounder of the SHAARP Network. Sara Mura is a doctoral candidate at the University of Kiel and the Cluster of Excellence ROOTS and co-founder of the SHAARP Network. Sue Hamilton FSA is professor of prehistory at the University College London Institute of Archaeology.