Personal aspects of the material culture

Students can comment on especially the social, behavioral, ideological (e.g. beliefs), and very personal aspects of the material culture around them, which they are of course noticing more because of the emphasis in an archaeology class. You might consider these questions about the material of your everyday life:

 

Questions: 

1. what different artifacts did you use or see today that you do not normally?

2. How did an artifact take on new meaning today?

3. What symbolism is inherent in some everyday artifacts in your life today that an archaeologist/outsider would not know about?

4. What items did you use in the course of the day, and where are they deposited?

5. What might be the most confusing aspects of your life for future archaeologists if your house were buried in a volcanic eruption right now?