One in every 206 people are without a home in England (Shelter, 2021). Almost unanimously (95%), the UK public agree this is a serious problem; yet, 29% would ignore a homeless individual, often attributing their situation to drug abuse (Crisis 2021; Oxfordshire Community Foundation 2021).  Modern western thinking presents having a permanent static home as the norm, resulting in the dehumanisation of those without a home. But the archaeological record shows that humans have a long history of being migratory, nomadic, and occupying temporary homes. 

This project will tackle the attitudes and societal preconceptions of those experiencing homelessness in modern society through the deconstruction of previous connections between being housed and being human. The research takes inspiration from nomadic theory (Braidotti 2011) as a theoretical methodology to deconstruct the modern western temporality of ‘lingering’ associated with homeless people in public spaces.

The objective of this research is to theorise what it means to have no fixed home; explore how archaeology operates as a form of storytelling about being human; and investigate whether drawing connections between these archaeological knowledges(s) of historical ‘un-housed’ communities and present vulnerable communities can deconstruct assumptions regarding “homelessness” – and ultimately what it means to be human in relation to the concept of a fixed home.