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What is ‘European Archaeology’? What Should it be?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2017

Staša Babić ,
Raimund Karl ,
Monika Milosavljević ,
Koji Mizoguchi ,
Carsten Paludan-Müller ,
Tim Murray ,
John Robb ,
Nathan Schlanger  and
Alessandro Vanzetti
Staša Babić
Affiliation:
University of Belgrade, Serbia
Raimund Karl
Affiliation:
University of Wales, Bangor, UK
Monika Milosavljević
Affiliation:
University of Belgrade, Serbia
Koji Mizoguchi
Affiliation:
University of Kyushu, Japan
Carsten Paludan-Müller
Affiliation:
Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, Norway
Tim Murray
Affiliation:
La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
John Robb
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge, UK
Nathan Schlanger
Affiliation:
École nationale des chartes, Paris, France
Alessandro Vanzetti
Affiliation:
University of Rome, Italy
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Abstract

‘European archaeology’ is an ambiguous and contested rubric. Rooted in the political histories of European archaeology, it potentially unites an academic field and provides a basis for international collaboration and inclusion, but also creates essentialized identities and exclusionary discourses. This discussion article presents a range of views on what European archaeology is, where it comes from, and what it could be.

«L'archéologie européenne» est une notion ambiguë et contestée. Avec ses racines dans l'histoire politique de l'archéologie en Europe, elle est capable d'unifier les branches de la discipline et d’établir les bases d'une collaboration et d'une intégration au niveau international mais elle est aussi à l'origine de la création d'identités unidimensionnelles et de propos exclusionistes. Le débat que nous amorçons ici présente une série de points de vue sur ce que l'archéologie européenne représente, d'où elle provient et ce qu'elle pourrait devenir. Translation by Madeleine Hummler

Der Ausdruck „Europäische Archäologie“ ist ein mehrdeutiger und bestrittener Begriff. Mit ihren Wurzeln in der politischen Geschichte der Archäologie in Europa ist die Disziplin in der Lage, das wissenschaftliche Fach zu vereinigen und die Grundlagen einer internationaler Zusammenarbeit und Eingliederung zu legen, aber es besteht auch immer die Gefahr, dass sie auch zur Erzeugung von übermäßig vereinfachten Identitäten und zur Förderung von ausschließender Diskurse leiten kann. Die vorliegenden Beiträge legen ein breites Meinungsspektrum über die Bedeutung, den Ursprung und die Zukunft der europäischen Archäologie vor. Translation by Madeleine Hummler

Keywords

EuropearchaeologypoliticsgeographyhistoryheritageEuropearchéologiepolitiquegéographiehistoirepatrimoineEuropaArchäologiePolitikGeographieGeschichteErbe
Type
Articles
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , February 2017 , pp. 4 - 35
Copyright
Copyright © European Association of Archaeologists 2017 

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