Susan Hydén

As a contract archaeologist I have had the opportunity to explore many different types of ancient remains, and my research interest are not limited to any specific period. Archaeology fascinates me as it gives us new perspectives on what it means to be human, while simultaneously giving us insights into foreign worlds. But archaeology also calls for reflection and problematisation. Too often we underestimate the foreignness of the past and unreflectedly project our modern ideas and values onto prehistory.

In my research I explore the different perspectives we use when forming knowledge on the basis of material culture, especially the cultural uses of rocks and minerals. These raw materials, often neglected in archaeological research, had an important role in prehistoric society, and in my PhD project I explore the complex and multi-faceted use of ground stone artefacts in the Early Neolithic period (4000-3300 BC).