This review discusses the use of material culture as a methodological approach in the study of Shīʿī history. It explains that, alongside written sources, historians increasingly rely on non-written sources such as artefacts, coins, and architecture to reconstruct historical contexts. The review highlights how material culture can provide more reliable insights due to its resistance to distortion and its ability to reveal social, political, and religious dynamics. It surveys existing scholarship in numismatics and architectural studies and emphasises how such approaches can challenge assumptions about the presence and influence of Shīʿīsm in different regions. The review concludes that studying material culture offers new perspectives on Shīʿī history and can contribute to a deeper understanding of its development across time and geography.