Illuminating Sensory Archaeologies

Light has a fundamental role to play in our perception of the world. It meditates the relationship between people and things within space, and is crucial to our understanding of the material culture of past societies. This chapter introduces light as the core focus of the volume; its qualities and affordances in different contexts and (im)material environments; its design and manipulation; and its elusive properties. The introduction also outlines how the contributions are structured. Chapters serve as case studies to show how diverse spatial and temporal contexts can advance archaeologies of light and with light. The volume is divided into seven thematic parts, each of which explores how light enables or hinders interactions, materializes and is being materialized, animates and illuminates, accentuates and shadows, generates symbols, meanings, and systems, creates beliefs and phenomena, transforms rituals and traditions, structures spaces, and shapes atmospheres. The volume then closes with an Afterword by Tim Ingold, who comments on the chapters and reflects on the role of light and dark as a constitutive element of the things we see around us.