1. The contextual analysis of symbolic meanings Ian Hodder; Part I. Contemporary archaeological studies: 2. Bow ties and pet foods: material culture and the negotiation of change in British industry Ian Hodder; 3. Iconography, sacred and secular: visions of the family Sheena Crawford; 4. An 'archae-logy' of Turkana beads Sarah Williams; Part II. Historical archaeological studies: 5. 'All styles are good, save the tiresome kind.' An examination of the pattern of stylistic changes occurring among silver candlesticks of the eighteenth century (1680–1780) Tony Sinclair; 6. Purity and power at the Victorian dinner party Robert Jameson; 7. Material metaphor, social interaction and historical reconstructions: exploring patterns of association and symbolism in the Igbo-Ukwu corpus Keith Ray; Part III. Prehistoric archaeological studies: 8. Identifying gender representation in the archaeological record: a contextual study Liv Gibbs; 9. Material order and cultural classification: the role of bronze objects in the transition from Bronze Age to Iron Age in Scandinavia Marie Louise Stig Sorensen; 10. The inter-relationships of materials and meanings: some suggestions on housing concerns within Iron Age Noord-Holland Linda Therkorn; 11. Value and motivation in pre-history: the evidence for 'Celtic spirit' Nick Merriman; 12. Flying stags: icons and power in Thracian art Timothy Taylor.