Material History Lab 3D Database
The Material History Lab 3D Database is a platform for sharing dynamic media, interpretive content, and analysis data for objects in the collection. The database hosts object photos and 3D models, source community interpretation videos, and archaeological context and provenance data.
Recent News
New Material History Lab in Harris Hall
The lab is the first of its kind in any Department of History in the US. The department renovated the space in 2022, thus creating the Material History Lab which first opened Fall 2023. Watch the video to learn more.
2024 Ede-Ile Fieldwork
Isaac Oluwole Delano Prize for Yoruba Studies
Prof. Akin Ogundiran is the 2022 Winner in the Book Category for the Isaac Oluwole Delano Prize for his book, The Yoruba: A New History (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2020).
Our Mission
The Material History Lab currently focuses on Africa’s social, political, economic, and cultural histories through objects. We study the physicality, sociality, and mineral and chemical compositions. We work with different objects and materials, from microscopic elements to monumental buildings and landscapes.