For the love of things: an interdisciplinary exploration of object attachment

From teddy bears to wedding rings, all humans are capable of developing close attachments to certain objects. Yet, despite these attachments being ubiquitous, they have received almost no attention from archaeology, and misconceptions abound. This thesis considers the psychological construct of object attachment in detail, considering how it can be a useful perspective to understand how we develop social and emotional connections to particular objects.

Using an interdisciplinary approach grounded in psychology, anthropology, and archaeology, this thesis begins by considering what we know about object attachment, and what questions remain. In doing so, it becomes clear that there is a lack of understanding about how object attachment varies at the biological, individual and cultural level, how object attachment differs from other forms of material engagement, and whether attachment objects themselves share any common characteristics.

This thesis considers each of these questions in turn, using evidence from psychological and ethnoarchaeological analyses. Doing so reveals that object attachment is often the result of feelings of both short- and long-term anxiety and insecurity. Attachment objects themselves share a number of common characteristics, both in their form and how we relate to them. These findings are used to develop expectations for changes we would expect to see in the archaeological record as a result of an attachment to objects. This is then used to reanalyse figurative material culture found in the Swabian Jura, southwestern Germany, around 40,000 years ago. This allows me to appraise the value of an attachment-centred perspective on the past.

In doing so, I consider how even seemingly mundane objects can shape and influence humans’ social and emotional lives. Furthermore, it shows the significance of our attachment to objects, demonstrating that they are healthy, effective sources of emotional support, rather than a reflection of childishness or materialism.