A Chat with Chatty Artefacts. Introduction to topic

Chatty artefacts are posited as a central interpretive tool in the understanding of society, social relations and culture. But we should not be misled by this conception. Chatty artefacts refer not only to specific groups, but are also a constitutive part of social relations. Material culture, as this introductory text attempts to conceptualize it, is therefore not merely some sort of medium for social relations, but is a component part of social relations.
KEY WORDS: artefacts, material culture, culture, social relations, language