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Giving and Taking: Anthropology and Archaeology of Circulation and Exchange

Module description

In this module we will examine the circulation of things between people and places through the lens of archaeology and anthropology. The exchange of things between people and places has characterised humanity since the earliest of times. However, ‘circulation’ (the general term that encompasses the wide spectrum of forms of human exchange and interaction, from the obsidian and amber trade in antiquity to modern financial transactions) has often been relegated to a secondary role in social analysis. More recently, anthropologists exploring a variety of settings have reconsidered circulation as a productive performance, connected but not limited to the generation and reproduction of both material and immaterial cultural forms of classification, valuation and social experience. Additionally, numerous archaeologists have long been investigating ancient forms of circulation and their constitutive role in prehistoric societies. Yet archaeology is rarely considered in the current debate on circulation as a source of theoretical insight and comparative empirical knowledge. Reading and discussing both anthropological and archaeological texts and materials, we will examine the extent to which this field of inquiry can benefit from interdisciplinary approaches, not only for studying the past, but also for addressing contemporary issues in local and global heritage and sustainability research and practice.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to develop an appreciation of the role of circulatory practices in the interweaving of people and communities at various levels in different moments of human history, from interpersonal level to wider collective and even global scales. It aims at deepening students understanding of the principles and methodologies involved in tracing these connections empirically as well as in the theoretical models necessary for their interpretation. In this way, the module seeks to develop a critical understanding of the role of human connectivity and exchange, and their implications in a variety of spheres of practices, from culture and the arts to economics and global flows of capital, o highlighting commonalities and contrasts between modern and ancient lives.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Discuss the different theories and perspectives developed to account for the movement of things and materials across space
• 2. Understand the social relevance of such movements both in contemporary and past societies
• 3. Discuss the relevance of these frameworks in specific case studies

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Critically reflect on the complex practices of circulation developed by human societies in a variety of contexts and time periods
• 5. Integrate interdisciplinary approaches to build interpretations about circulating objects and materials

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Compare and synthesise opposing views on complex topics
• 7. Show initiative and originality in tackling and solving research problems
• 8. Take part in group activities and discussions in presence or online, posing pertinent questions
• 9. Organise work efficiently with respect to deadlines

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Why study circulation? Defining terms: circulation, Exchange, trade, culture and translation
• Object lives: why and how things move around
• Classification, value and exchange: the social lives of things
• Objects re-contextualised: translating culture and authenticity
• Archaeological approaches 1: earlier studies
• Archaeological approaches 2: recent developments
• Workshop . Reading ethnographies of circulation and exchange
• Landscape & circulation:  Examples from the Andes
• Cultural heritage, circulation & recognition: the poison in the gift

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment. 

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Appadurai, A.1988. The Social Life of Things. CUP 
• Bourdieu, P. 1990. An Outline of a Theory of Practice. CUP 
• Humphrey, and Hugh-Jones. Barter, Exchange and Value. CUP 
• Mauss, M. 1990. The Gift. Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies.  Norton. 
• Malinowski, B. 1986. Argonauts of the Western Pacific. Waveland Press 
• Myers, F. 2005. The Empire of Things. CUP 
• Mayer, E. The Articulated Peasant. Household Economies in the Andes. Westview 
• Munn, N. The fame of Gawa. Duke University Press 
• Sykes, K. Arguing with Anthropology. Routledge.  
• Tsing, A. 2004. Friction. An Ethnography of Global Connection. Princeton University press. 
• Thomas, N. 1993. Entangled objects.  Harvard Univesity Press. 
• Van Bisbergen W. & P. Gescheire. 2005. Commodification: Things, Agency, and Identities: ("The Social Life of Things" revisited). LIT Verlag.  
• Weiner, A. 1992. Inalienable Possessions. The Paradox of Keeping-while-Giving. California University Press. 
• Weiss, B. The Making and un-Making of the Haya Lived World. Duke. 

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE: https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11095

Key words search

Archaeology, Anthropology, Exchange, Material Culture, Heritage, Commodification