Material Worlds: Objects and architecture in Egyptology

Abstract

This panel discussed the value (and privilege) of direct engagement with material culture and the necessity of communicating that experience accurately in publication. The importance of integrative, holistic, and experiential analysis was discussed, as
was the problem of typologies that impose false divisions on the archaeological record. Panellists also discussed the problem of social relevance and the power that material culture has to engage wide audiences and create personal connections with
the past. The challenge of academic ‘pigeon-holing’ is also addressed, in particular as it relates to assumptions that certain types of knowledge are more valuable than others.