Nationalism, Politics and the Practice of Archaeology

by Philip L. Kohl (Editor), Clare Fawcett (Editor)

Overview

Archaeology has often been put to political use, particularly by nationalists. This timely collection ranges from propaganda purposes served by archaeology in the Nazi state to lesser-known instances of ideological archaeology elsewhere. A distinguished group of international scholars highlights common threads in these experiences, arguing that archaeologists need to be more sophisticated about the use and abuse of their studies. The book raises cogent questions concerning not only archaeology, but also history and anthropology in general.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521480659
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/26/1996
Series:	New Directions in Archaeology
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.83(d)

Table of Contents

Part I. Introduction: Archaeology in the Service of the State: Theoretical Considerations Philip L. Kohl and Clare Fawcett; Part II. Western Europe: 1. Civilization, barbarism, and nationalism in European archaeology Bernard Wailes and Amy L. Zoll; 2. Archaeology and nationalism in Spain Margarita Diaz-Andreu; 3. Nationalism and Copper Age research in Portugal during the Salazar Regime (1932–1974) Katina T. Lillios; 4. Archaeology in Nazi Germany: the legacy of Faustian bargain Bettina Arnold and Henning Hassman; 5. Nazi and eco-feminist prehistories: ideology and empiricism in Indo-European archaeology David W. Anthony; Part III. Eastern Europe and Eurasia: 6. Archaeology and ideology in Southeast Europe Timothy Kaiser; 7. From internationalism to nationalism: forgotten pages of soviet archaeology in the 1930s and 1940s Victor A. Shnirelman; 8. Postscript: Russian archaeology after the collapse of the USSR infrastructural crisis and the resurgence of old and new nationalism E. N. Chernykh; 9. Nationalism, politics and the practice of archaeology in the Caucasus Philip L. Kohl and Gocha R. Tsetskhladze; Part IV. East Asia: 10. Thirty years of Chinese archaeology (1949–1979) Enzheng Tong; 11. The regionalist paradigm in Chinese archaeology Lothar von Falkenhausen; 12. The politics of ethnicity in prehistoric Korea Sarah M. Nelson; 13. Nationalism and postwar Japanese archaeology Clare Fawcett; Part V. Commentary: 14. Promised lands and chosen peoples: the politics and poetics of archaeological narrative Neil Asher Silberman; 15. Romanticism, nationalism and archaeology Bruce G. Trigger.

Editorial Reviews

"...highly recommended. It treats an acute problem that is relevant for all archaeologists. The familiarity of the individual authors with the complex political histories of their research areas provides the reader with a set of fascinating and provocative case studies." Reinhard Bernbeck, American Antiquity

"This volume is a welcomed and important addition to the recent spate of publications exploring the sociohistorical context of archaeological practice....this is an excellent and important book that should be read and discussed by everyone concerned with understanding the sociohistorical forces shaping archaeological practice and the responsibilities of archaeologists in interpreting and presenting the past. There is much new and provocative material here by an international collection of scholars....the timely well-integrated character of this set of essays, the intellectual seriousness of the endeavor, and the consistently accessible, jargon-light style of the writing certainly ought to assure the volume a prominent place on many graduate and undergraduate syllabi." Michael Dietler, American Anthropologist

From the Publisher