How Materials Matter

Graeme Were is chair and professor of Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Bristol. He has a regional specialism in Papua New Guinea, where he has conducted ongoing ethnographic fieldwork since 2000. His published work includes Lines that Connect (2010) and Extreme Collecting (Berghahn, 2012) co-edited with J.C.H. King.

• AcknowledgementsList of IllustrationsIntroduction: Materials and DesignPART I: MATERIALS UNDER THE MICROSCOPEChapter 1. On the Materials of MatsChapter 2. Materials on the MoveChapter 3. What’s in a Plant Leaf?PART II: MATERIALS: DESIGN: TRANSFORMATIONChapter 4. Of Canoes and TroughsChapter 5. Enclosures and DisclosuresPART III: MATERIAL FUTURESChapter 6. Returning Cultural Knowledge in a Digital Design ContextChapter 7. Material Histories and the Changing Nature of Museum CollectionsConclusion: Towards a New Understanding of MaterialityBibliographyIndex

“…a wonderful contribution to the expanding and exciting field of material culture studies. With its particular regional focus, it is also a novel addition to the anthropology of the Pacific. A beautifully printed book.” • Anthropos“The book is a welcome and novel addition to the anthropology of the Pacific through its exploration of the dynamics of materials and sociality, while also introducing readers to the realities of working with digital renderings of heritage.” • Joshua A. Bell, Smithsonian Institution