Does the collection of archaeological and ethnographic material created by Sir John Lubbock shed light on the nature of late 19th-century English society, and Lubbock's role within it? I am currently undertaking research1 into this very question, exploring the depths of potential meaning held by a selection of artefacts now housed at Bromley Museum2 and the British Museum. This article proposes a methodology for carrying out such a collection analysis, as a form of discourse analysis, and summarizes a few of the conclusions and ideas that are beginning to emerge from its application.
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