An Archaeology of Temperature

"An Archaeology of Temperature creatively examines the material dimensions of seemingly abstract numbers. Schwartz illuminates the myriad ways quantitative representations are artifacts with a material presence that reaches into nearly every dimension of our everyday lives. The focus on temperature ambitiously pushes beyond temperature as a conceptual notion alone and instead provides a thought-provoking and novel archaeological analysis of the materiality masked by numerical discourses." Paul R. Mullins, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis.

"A highly original and thought-provoking book that offers significant insights into the material culture of late capitalism and makes an important contribution to posthuman and new materialist theory." James Symonds, Professor of Historical Archaeology, University of Amsterdam.

"Never has the materiality of numbers been explored in such a thought-provoking way. This book takes contemporary archaeology in a new direction by examining temperature displays as a manifestation of capitalism in urban landscapes. After reading it, it is impossible not to notice how the measurement of temperature influences material culture in the contemporary world at every turn. An Archaeology of Temperature weaves together cultural experiences of temperature from the simple delights of icecream to the anxiety of global warming in a way that is theoretically sophisticated yet highly readable." Alice Gorman, Associate Professor, Flinders University, Adelaide