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Agency is a key theme that cross-cuts a wide raft of disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and beyond; yet it is invariably discussed separately behind closed disciplinary doors. Within archaeology, agency has been characterized as a uniquely human attribute, and a means of incorporating individual intentionality into theoretical discourse. In other domains, however, notions of non-human and ‘material’ agency have been finding currency, and it is our aim to introduce some of these themes into archaeology and develop a non-anthropocentric approach to agency. It is anticipated that such a perspective will not only help us achieve more convincing interpretations of the past, giving a more active role to material culture, but also throw new light on the changing role of artifacts in the present and the future. This book is a groundbreaking attempt to address questions of non-human and material agency from a wide range of perspectives and disciplines: archaeology, anthropology, sociology, cognitive science, philosophy, and economics. The editors and authors demonstrate that a distributed, relational approach to agency, incorporating both humans and artifacts, has important ramifications for how we understand material culture.

archaeology --- technology --- archeologie --- Materials sciences --- materials [matter] --- materialen (technologie) --- Archeology --- Social Sciences. --- Archaeology. --- Anthropology. --- Cultural Heritage. --- Social sciences. --- Humanities. --- Sciences sociales --- Sciences humaines --- Anthropologie --- Archéologie --- Material culture --- Agent (Philosophy) --- Agent (Philosophy). --- Material culture. --- Social archaeology. --- Anthropology --- Social Sciences --- Social & Cultural Anthropology --- History & Archaeology --- Archaeology --- Agency (Philosophy) --- Agents --- Person (Philosophy) --- History. --- SOCIAL SCIENCE --- Sciences humaines. --- Sciences sociales. --- Philosophy. --- Cultural heritage. --- Philosophy and science. --- Philosophy of Science. --- Culture --- Folklore --- Technology --- Act (Philosophy) --- Philosophy --- Methodology --- Science --- Cultural heritage --- Cultural patrimony --- Cultural resources --- Heritage property --- National heritage --- National patrimony --- National treasure --- Patrimony, Cultural --- Treasure, National --- Property --- World Heritage areas --- Human beings --- Auxiliary sciences of history --- History --- Antiquities --- Normal science --- Philosophy of science --- technology [general associated concept] --- materials [substances] --- Science and philosophy --- Primitive societies --- Social sciences