Materialities
The material world has become more important in understanding history by looking at how people in the past used objects and buildings to express meaning. Our historians use the material world as a source and an analytical approach to develop new ways of examining historical processes.
Historians at Birmingham are leaders in this field, with top publications in medieval, early modern, and modern history. They also create research handbooks, study guides, and articles on material history methods. They uncover activities and practices in religious and domestic sites, streets, and workplaces to highlight the lives of those far from traditional power sources.
Interdisciplinary studies are key, with scholars combining material culture analysis with visual culture, gender studies, literary studies, archaeology, and anthropology. They continue to find new ways to analyse the material world, connecting with theories from the history of emotions, musicology, and sensory history.
Our researchers work directly with public heritage organisations and have long-term collaborations with groups like the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Birmingham Museum Trust, The National Trust, Museum for the Order of St John, and Weald & Downland Living Museum. These partnerships help create new research questions, expand knowledge of collections, and develop innovative ways of interpretation.