Selective Remembrances : Archaeology in the Construction, Commemoration, and Consecration of National Pasts

When political geography changes, how do reorganized or newly formed states justify their rule and create a sense of shared history for their people? Often, the essays in Selective Remembrances reveal, they turn to archaeology, employing the field and its findings to develop nationalistic feelings and forge legitimate distinctive national identities. Examining such relatively new or reconfigured nation-states as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, India, and Thailand, Selective Remembrances shows how states invoke the remote past to extol the glories of specific peoples or prove claims to ancestral homelands. Religion has long played a key role in such efforts, and the contributors take care to demonstrate the tendency of many people, including archaeologists themselves, to view the world through a religious lens—which can be exploited by new regimes to suppress objective study of the past and justify contemporary political actions. The wide geographic and intellectual range of the essays in Selective Remembrances will make it a seminal text for archaeologists and historians. (20070911) When Political Geography Changes, How Do Recognized Or Newly-formed States Justify Their Rule And Create A Sense Of Shared History? The Essays In This Title Reveal That They Turn To Archaeology, Employing The Field And Its Findings To Develop Nationalistic Feelings And Forge Legitimate And Distinctive National Identities. Russian Response: Archaeology, Russian Nationalism, And The Arctic Homeland / Victor A. Shnirelman -- The Challenges Of Church Archaeology In Post-soviet Crimea / Mara Kozelsky -- The Writing Of Caucasian Albania: Facts And Falsifications / Murtazali S.. Gadjiev -- Archaeology And Nationalism In The History Of The Romanians / Gheorghe Alexandru Niculescu -- The Rise Of The Hittite Sun: A Deconstruction Of Western Civilization From The Margin / Wendy Shaw -- The Sense Of Belonging: The Politics Of Archaeology In Modern Iraq / Magnus T. Bernhardsson -- The Name Game: The Persian Gulf, Archaeologists, And The Politics Of Arab-iranian Relations / Kamyar Abdi -- Excavating Masada: The Politics-archaeology Connection At Work / Nachman Ben-yehuda -- Recovering Authenticity: West-bank Settlers And The Second Stage Of National Archaeology / Michael Feige -- Appropriating The Past: Heritage, Tourism, And Archaeology In Israel / Uzi Baram -- An Archaeology Of Palestine: Mourning A Dream / Ghada Ziadeh-seely / The Aryan Homeland Debate In India / Shereen Ratnagar -- The Impact Of Colonialism And Nationalism In The Archaeology Of Thailand / Rasmi Shoocongdej. Edited By Philip L. Kohl, Mara Kozelsky, And Nachman Ben-yehuda. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. When political geography changes, how do reorganized or newly formed states justify their rule and create a sense of shared history for their people? Often, the essays in Selective Remembrances reveal, they turn to archaeology, employing the field and its findings to develop nationalistic feelings and forge legitimate distinctive national identities. Examining such relatively new or reconfigured nation-states as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, India, and Thailand, Selective Remembrances shows how states invoke the remote past to extol the glories of specific peoples or prove claims to ancestral homelands. Religion has long played a key role in such efforts, and the contributors take care to demonstrate the tendency of many people, including archaeologists themselves, to view the world through a religious lens - which can be exploited by new regimes to suppress objective study of the past and justify contemporary political actions. The wide geographic and intellectual range of the essays in Selective Remembrances will make it a seminal text for archaeologists and historians When political geography changes, how do reorganized or newly formed states justify their rule and create a sense of shared history for their people? Often, the essays in Selective Remembrances reveal, they turn to archaeology, employing the field and its findings to develop nationalistic feelings and forge legitimate distinctive national identities. Examining such relatively new or reconfigured nation-states as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, India, and Thailand, Selective Remembrances shows how states invoke the remote past to extol the glories of specific peoples or prove claims to ancestral homelands. Religion has long played a key role in such efforts, and the contributors take care to demonstrate the tendency of many people, including archaeologists themselves, to view the world through a religious lens - which can be exploited by new regimes to suppress objective study of the past and justify contemporary political actions.--Page [4] de la couverture