Book excerpt: This study explores how and why people have made and modified images and other cultural material from pre-history into the 21st century. By juxtaposing objects and places usually considered in isolation, provocative questions are raised about our understandings of cross-cultural differences and the value of representational objects. The book examines themes such as violence, punishment, memory and intentionality, and breaks new ground by including contributions from archaeologists, curators, and museum conservators as well as from historians of art, literature and religious studies.