{"title":"Ellen Swift","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"end-of-the-western-roman-empire-book-ellen-swift-9780752414782","title":"The End of the Western Roman Empire","description":"Based on a range of new archaeological research (most of it carried out by the author herself), this book breaks new ground. It examines changes in the Western provinces in the fourth and early fifth centuries, which ultimately resulted in the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.  First, the author investigates regional variation within the late Roman West: important differences are found between the heavily militarised provinces of the frontier and those further west, and the general shift of focus from one area to another is clearly visible as the fourth century comes to its end. In combination with other burial evidence, the movement of people can be traced through the objects they were wearing, and the activity of the Roman military on the frontiers can be investigated through badges of office - the crossbow brooch and the belt set. Even in the fourth century, the increasing importance of the Germanic-style culture is becoming apparent, corresponding to the breakdown of much Roman-inspired culture in the fifth century.  All these strands are skilfully brought together in Dr Swift's new account of the end of the Roman West and its legacy to the post-Roman world.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49509980471569,"sku":"GOR003915759","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49609868149009,"sku":"GOR004493098","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53432135450897,"sku":"CIN075241478XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/075241478X.jpg?v=1751263437"},{"product_id":"roman-dress-accessories-book-ellen-swift-9780747805670","title":"Roman Dress Accessories","description":"This book provides an introduction to Roman dress accessories - defined here as what would today be called costume jewellery (non-precious metal jewellery). Items such as bracelets and pins are widely found in the Roman period in copper alloy, bone, glass, jet, shale and other materials. Completely new objects were introduced by the Romans, spread rapidly in each area of the Empire and were adopted by local populations. Different styles of Roman object became popular in each succeeding century, as dress fashions changed. Using new evidence from finds, production areas, distribution patterns and the locations of workshops are examined. The interpretation of dress accessories is introduced, with reference to the depiction of objects in Roman art. Brooches, bracelets, beads, necklaces, rings, earrings, pins and belt sets are explained in detail, and the most popular types are described and illustrated, enabling the reader to identify common objects that might be found on an archaeological site or in a museum.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49564590375185,"sku":"GOR001693919","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53070467727633,"sku":"GOR004310044","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0747805679.jpg?v=1750881366"},{"product_id":"social-archaeology-of-roman-and-late-antique-egypt-book-ellen-swift-9780198867340","title":"A Social Archaeology of Roman and Late Antique Egypt","description":"Artefact evidence has the unique power to illuminate many aspects of life that are rarely explored in written sources, yet this potential has been underexploited in research on Roman and Late Antique Egypt. This book presents the first in-depth study that uses everyday artefacts as its principal source of evidence to transform our understanding of the society and culture of Egypt during these periods. It represents a fundamental reference work for scholars, with much new and essential information on a wide range of artefacts, many of which are found not only in Egypt but also in the wider Roman and late antique world. By taking a social archaeology approach, it sets out a new interpretation of daily life and aspects of social relations in Roman and Late Antique Egypt, contributing substantial insights into everyday practices and their social meanings in the past. Artefacts from University College London's Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology are the principal source of evidence; most of these objects have not been the subject of any previous research. The book integrates the close study of artefact features with other sources of evidence, including papyri and visual material. Part one explores the social functions of dress objects, while part two explores the domestic realm and everyday experience. An important theme is the life course, and how both dress-related artefacts and ordinary functional objects construct age and gender-related status and facilitate appropriate social relations and activities. There is also a particular focus on wider social experience in the domestic context, as well as broader consideration of economic and social changes across the period.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49741048938769,"sku":"NGR9780198867340","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52734576886033,"sku":"NIN9780198867340","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0198867344.jpg?v=1776940514"},{"product_id":"roman-artefacts-and-society-book-ellen-swift-9780198866886","title":"Roman Artefacts and Society","description":"In this book, Ellen Swift uses design theory, previously neglected in Roman archaeology, to investigate Roman artefacts in a new way, making a significant contribution to both Roman social history, and our understanding of the relationships that exist between artefacts and people. Based on extensive data collection and the close study of artefacts from museum collections and archives, the book examines the relationship between artefacts, everyday behaviour, and experience. The concept of 'affordances' - features of an artefact that make possible, and incline users towards, particular uses for functional artefacts - is an important one for the approach taken. This concept is carefully evaluated by considering affordances in relation to other sources of evidence, such as use - wear, archaeological context, the end - products resulting from artefact use, and experimental reconstruction. Artefact types explored in the case studies include locks and keys, pens, shears, glass vessels, dice, boxes, and finger-rings, using material mainly drawn from the north-western Roman provinces, with some material also from Roman Egypt. The book then considers how we can use artefacts to understand particular aspects of Roman behaviour and experience, including discrepant experiences according to factors such as age, social position, and left- or right-handedness, which are fostered through artefact design. The relationship between production and users of artefacts is also explored, investigating what particular production methods make possible in terms of user experience, and also examining production constraints that have unintended consequences for users. The book examines topics such as the perceived agency of objects, differences in social practice across the provinces, cultural change and development in daily practice, and the persistence of tradition and social convention. It shows that design intentions, everyday habits of use, and the constraints of production processes each contribute to the reproduction and transformation of material culture.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":52323558097169,"sku":"NGR9780198866886","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780198866886.jpg?v=1757977442"},{"product_id":"roman-artefacts-and-society-book-ellen-swift-9780198785262","title":"Roman Artefacts and Society","description":"In this book, Ellen Swift uses design theory, previously neglected in Roman archaeology, to investigate Roman artefacts in a new way, making a significant contribution to both Roman social history, and our understanding of the relationships that exist between artefacts and people.   Based on extensive data collection and the close study of artefacts from museum collections and archives, the book examines the relationship between artefacts, everyday behaviour, and experience. The concept of 'affordances'-features of an artefact that make possible, and incline users towards, particular uses for functional artefacts-is an important one for the approach taken. This concept is carefully evaluated by considering affordances in relation to other sources of evidence, such as use-wear, archaeological context, the end-products resulting from artefact use, and experimental reconstruction. Artefact types explored in the case studies include locks and keys, pens, shears, glass vessels, dice, boxes, and finger-rings, using material mainly drawn from the north-western Roman provinces, with some material also from Roman Egypt.  The book then considers how we can use artefacts to understand particular aspects of Roman behaviour and experience, including discrepant experiences according to factors such as age, social position, and left- or right-handedness, which are fostered through artefact design. The relationship between production and users of artefacts is also explored, investigating what particular production methods make possible in terms of user experience, and also examining production constraints that have unintended consequences for users.   The book examines topics such as the perceived agency of objects, differences in social practice across the provinces, cultural change and development in daily practice, and the persistence of tradition and social convention. It shows that design intentions, everyday habits of use, and the constraints of production processes each contribute to the reproduction and transformation of material culture.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52332819054865,"sku":"NLS9780198785262","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780198785262.jpg?v=1758152788"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-ellen-swift.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}