For the Topics In Material Culture course, the first term assignment requires the development of a personal artifact analysis methodology, which is to be applied to an object. The result of the application will be a thesis statement for a research paper and website to be produced next term. To navigate throughout the site and learn more, follow the main navigation links at the bottom of the page, to the main categories of this website.

The objects chosen for this assignment, music boxes, incorporate a wide range and variety of shapes and materials, all with the same underlying function and component. Therefore the artifact analysis model must be able to accommodate both this wide range and the underlying similarity. For this reason, certain elements of the artifact analysis models examined in class will work better than others. This methodology was constructed from certain elements of many different models. The resulting methodology is appropriate for the objects chosen, and has the necessary interpretative range.

Below is a model of the methodology constructed, detailing which elements were borrowed from existing analysis models. The author of each model mentioned is a link to a page providing the name of the artifact model and why I chose to use parts of their models.

This methodology is applied to two musical boxes, a rose box, and a bear figurine.