Objects and artifacts, even the most mundane, offer important clues about the societies and cultures that produced them. Consider what the typical wallet—made to accommodate money, credit and ATM cards, a driver’s license, and a photo—suggests about our own culture. The people who own this wallet make numerous purchases each day, facilitated by a sophisticated and ubiquitous global electronic money-transfer system. Because many of their social interactions are with strangers, they need to carry proof of their identity. They likely own a car and use it for their transportation needs. It follows that work, home, friends, and markets are often at some distance from each other. Finally, since their home and work are in separate, and often distant locations, they carry photos of their loved ones to maintain a sense of connection.

Consider the following collection of medieval artifacts. What do they tell you about the society that created them? How do they evoke the rhythms of life in medieval London? Choose one object of particular interest, which you will use to respond to the questions that follow.

Click here to view the collection.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER