From materials to material culture

Dr Linda Hurcombe

Functional data can lead to a better appreciation of cultural factors. Dr Linda Hurcombe's researching on the kinds of tasks stone tools might have been used to perform has lead to a much wider interest in materials and their transformation into material culture. Recent work has focused attention on plant craft activities as a neglected sphere of material culture and resource exploitation.

Hurcombe, L. 1994: 'From functional interpretation to cultural choices in tool use' in N. Ashton and A. David (eds) Stories in Stone. Lithic Studies Society Occasional Paper 4, London: British Museum.p.145-155.

Hurcombe, L. 1994: (published 1998) 'Plant-working and craft activities as a potential source of microwear variation'. Helinium 34(2):201-209.

Hurcombe, L. 2000: 'Plants as the raw materials for crafts' in A. Fairburn (ed) Plants in Neolithic Britain and Beyond. Oxford; Oxbow.