Archaeological Review from Cambridge Volume 27.2 - November 2012.
Call for Papers: Archaeology and the (De)Construction of National and Supra-National
Polities
Recent decades have seen a growing interest in issues of nationality, ethnicity and identity
across the social sciences, including archaeology. Recent decades have also seen a move
towards greater reflexivity in these disciplines, leading to a greater recognition of the
subjective background of all research. In archaeology, as elsewhere, this had led to an
examination of the relationship between research, personal biographies and the larger sociopolitical discourse within which research takes place. The relationship between nationalism
and archaeology provides a particularly useful study for this topic.
The past has long been used to justify the socio-political constructs of the present. Certainly
archaeology, along with other historical social sciences, played a major role in the Romantic
Nationalism that swept Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with many nascent
states basing their claim for nationhood on perceived historical cultural groupings. These
were often sourced from a (pseudo-)historic or pre-historic golden age, and could in turn be
used to bolster national solidarity. Can it also be said that archaeology plays a major role in
the nationalism that seems to be a necessary phase of the postcolonial condition? In some
parts of the world, the relationship between archaeology and nationalism is less clear. Can it
be said that archaeology is used at times both to underline and undermine pan-European, PanAmerican and pan-Arab movements towards continental or transcontinental solidarity,
amongst others? Are conflicting archaeological narratives being used simultaneously to
support centripetal transnational political trajectories emphasising a common heritage and (re)emerging ideas of national solidarity emphasising exceptionalism? Are conflicting
archaeological narratives used by different groups within national-states to shape the present
in their own image, such as in postcolonial nations where indigenous and colonial groups
seek to emphasise different periods of the past?
The Archaeological Review from Cambridge invites contributions to the theme of national
and supra-national political construction. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
 The role of archaeology in the construction of national ideologies and identities

Conversely, the role archaeology can play in their deconstruction

The role of archaeology in the justification/legitimation, construction and deconstruction of supra-national political entities such as the European Union

The strength of grip that politics has over current archaeological research. How
transparent is this control and how do archaeologists deal with it?
Discussions of how these themes are paralleled in other cognate disciplines such as history,
historical sociology, heritage studies and historical geography are also welcomed.
Please send abstracts of not more than 500 words to Russell Ó Ríagáin and Catalin Popa
(arcissue27.2@gmail.com) by 20th September 2011. The full article should not exceed 4000
words. Deadline for first drafts will be in early December 2011 for publication in November
2012. Style guidelines and notes for contributors can be found at
http://www.societies.cam.ac.uk/arc/contribute.html
Archaeological Review from Cambridge is a journal of archaeology managed and published on
a voluntary basis by postgraduate research students at the University of Cambridge. Issues are
released twice a year. ARC is a non-profit making organisation. Although primarily rooted in
archaeological theory and practice, ARC increasingly accommodates a wide range of
perspectives with the aim of establishing a strong, inter-disciplinary journal which will be of
interest to those engaged in a range of fields. http://www.societies.cam.ac.uk/arc/