Collecting the classical world: the idea of a quantitative history

Whilst most branches of archaeology use quantitative methods – not just what is there, but how many? – the central facts of Classical archaeology have not been approached this way. Yet how many kinds of what objects there once were, and how many survive in or out of the ground, is a fundamental on which a systematic knowledge needs to depend. Our study is a pioneering exploration of just how much Classical material there actually is – in the ground, in the archaeologists’ trenches, in the museums, in the private collections – and in the hands of the looters and illicit diggers.

Publications

Chippindale, C., D. W. J. Gill, E. Salter, and C. Hamilton. "Collecting the classical world: first steps in a quantitative history." International Journal of Cultural Property 10 (2001): 1-31. [Abstract]