The Familiar Past surveys material culture from 1500 to the present day. Fourteen case studies, grouped under related topics, include discussion of issues such as:* the origins of modernity in urban contexts* the historical anthropology of food* the social and spatial construction of country houses* the social history of a workhouse site* changes in memorial forms and inscriptions* the archaeological treatment of gardens.The Familiar Past has been structured as a teaching text and will be useful to students of history and archaeology.