We have attempted to analyze the artifact of Laramie using the ideas of Material Culture Study. By looking at the physical objects in an environment it is possible to gain some insight into the culture that produced them.
Material culture is a method used by many different disciplines and as such the definitions of it can vary. One definition—from Jules David Prown, in his essay "Mind in Matter: An Introduction to Material Culture Theory and Method"—is as follows:
Material culture is the study through artifacts of the beliefs—values, ideas, attitudes, and assumptions—of a particular community or society at a given time. . . .
Material culture as a study is based upon the obvious fact that the existence of a man-made object is concrete evidence of the presence of a human intelligence operating at the time of fabrication. The underlying premise is that objects made or modified by man reflect, consciously or unconsciously, directly or indirectly, the beliefs of the individuals who made, commissioned, purchased, or used them and, by extension, the beliefs of the larger society to which they belonged. [Ref 15]
Every man-made object required the operation of some thought and design. It is the assumption of material culture studies that this thought is a reflection of the culture that produced the man-made objects.
By using this method we are able to gain insights into things that are not fully articulated or into cultures that have not left written records. For social historians in particular material culture is a useful tool to gather information on the groups other than the elites. The life stories of the working class were not often recorded, and very rarely in their own words. By looking at the material objects left behind some of their story can be extrapolated.
In a similar way the idea of Laramie, as held by all those who experience it (long-term residents, students, council members, downtown business people, and passers through), is not a recorded, defined concept. By looking at the physical aspects of the artifact of Laramie we have attempted to capture some of those ideas, as they exist at present. We have taken the objects visible on the surface of the town and attempted to read them. Ours is only one possible reading of these objects and we invite you to make your own as you navigate these pages.