Rhiannon Pettitt (University of Manchester, UK)

This paper will examine how the materiality of objects and bodies was defined during the Bronze Age in Wales, in particular discussing the contrasts and interconnected values of materials in different contexts. The malleability and meaning of objects is not limited to their creation and destruction. Through every action and performance objects are redefined and re-socialised. Research has shown that these concepts can equally be applied to the body, which is itself redefined and socialised through every act of performance it undertakes. By examining cases of how the human body has been used and deposited as a substance and how objects have been used to represent and `be' a body, I hope to bring a greater understanding to the materiality of objects and bodies.