European Archaeology Abroad
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Global Settings, ComparativeEuropean Perspectives Archaeology Abroad European Archaeology Abroad What are European archaeologists doing abroad? What have they been doing there for the past three to four centuries? Are they doing things differently nowadays? To address these questions, this book explores the scope, impact and ethics of European archaeological policies and practices in the Mediterranean area, the Near East, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. Acknowledging that international and transcultural projects have a range of different stakeholders, the first part of this book aims to identify some of the values and motivations behind different European archaeologies abroad. This is done by providing thorough historical overviews on a range of European countries, including France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland. But how are these values translated, through socio-political, theoretical and administrative frameworks, unto local circumstances in host countries? And how are these archaeological activities received locally? The second part of this book attempts to answer these questions through a range of historical and contemporary case studies, in Africa, in Asia, in South America, in the Near East and in Europe. The third part of the book offers several critical reflections on European values, motivations and collaboration projects, as perceived by archaeological heritage professionals based in, and/or working in Senegal, Sudan, Somaliland, Colombia, and the Near East. This collection of historical overviews, contemporary case studies and critical reflections focuses on the challenging relationships between archaeological practices and policies, including the requirements and wishes of archaeologists, of local communities and of other stakeholders in Europe and in the host countries. In addition to researchers and students, this book should be of interest to practicing archaeologists, heritage professionals and policy makers the world over, as they seek to reach better informed decisions regarding archaeological projects and international collaboration. This publication was produced in the framework of the ACE project – “Archaeology in Contemporary Europe. Professional Practices and Public Outreach”, with the support of the Culture 2007-2013 programme of the European Commission. European Archaeology Abroad Global Settings, Comparative Perspectives edited by: Sidestone Sjoerd J. van der Linde, Monique H. van den Dries, ISBNSidestone 978-90-8890-106-5 Press ISBN: 978-90-8890-106-5 Nathan Schlanger & Corijanne G. Slappendel Bestelnummer: SSP132010001 Artikelnummer: SSP132010001 9 789088 901065 This is an Open Access publication. Visit our website for more OA publication, to read any of our books for free online, or to buy them in print or PDF. www.sidestone.com Check out some of our latest publications: European Archaeology Abroad Global Settings, Comparative Perspectives Sidestone Press European Archaeology Abroad Global Settings, Comparative Perspectives edited by: Sjoerd J. van der Linde, Monique H. van den Dries, Nathan Schlanger & Corijanne G. Slappendel © 2012 Individual authors This project has been funded with support from the Published by Sidestone Press, Leiden European Commission. This publication reflects www.sidestone.com the views only of the authors, and the Commission Sidestone registration number: SSP132010001 cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. The ISBN 978-90-8890-106-5 contributors to this publication have done so in their personal capacity. The views and analyses they express Photographs cover: Archaeological work at Ancient Merv, here remain their sole responsibility, and do not Turkmenistan (Photograph: Justin Barton (flickr: Amen-Ra)). necessarily reflect or represent those of the publishers, Cover design: K. Wentink, Sidestone Press the sponsoring organisations, their institutions or the Lay-out: P.C. van Woerdekom, Sidestone Press European Commission. CONTENTS Notes on contributors 9 Foreword 17 Preface 19 European Archaeology Abroad: Global Settings, Comparative 21 Perspectives Nathan Schlanger, Sjoerd van der Linde, Monique van den Dries and Corijanne Slappendel PART ONE: HISTORICAL OVERVIEWS 33 1.1 Foreign schools and institutes around the Mediterranean Sea: relics 35 of the past or renewed tools for scientific partnership? Frank Braemer 1.2 French archaeology abroad: a short history of its institutional and 51 political framework Sonia Lévin 1.3 Belgian archaeologists abroad: from antiquarians to interdisciplinary 67 research Gertjan Plets, Ruth Plets and Rica Annaert 1.4 Spanish archaeology abroad 85 Xurxo Ayán Vila and Alfredo González-Ruibal 1.5 Polish archaeology in Egypt and Sudan: an historical overview 105 Patrycja Klimowicz and Arkadiusz Klimowicz 1.6 Dutch archaeology abroad: from treasure hunting to local 125 community engagement Monique van den Dries, Corijanne Slappendel and Sjoerd van der Linde 1.7 Warum in die Ferne schweifen? An overview of German archaeology 157 abroad Nina Schücker PART TWO: CASE STUDIES 191 2.1 French archaeology in Africa: historical, institutional and political 193 frameworks Sonia Lévin 2.2 Archaeology in the Democratic Republic of Congo: old and current 205 strategies for ancient issues Els Cornelissen 2.3 Communicating vessels: a Flemish experience with international 223 collaboration in maritime heritage research Ine Demerre 2.4 Constructing from the south: a post-colonial perspective on 245 scientific cooperation in archaeology in Uruguay Camila Gianotti, David Barreiro, Felipe Criado-Boado and José López Mazz 2.5 Building country-relevant programmes in the context of the 267 implementation of the UNESCO convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage Robert Parthesius and Bill Jeffery 2.6 The socio-political context of Polish archaeological discoveries in 287 Faras, Sudan Arkadiusz Klimowicz and Patrycja Klimowicz 2.7 Italian archaeology in Africa: the arduous liberation of a discipline 307 from colonial ideology Maria Pia Guermandi 2.8 The Delphi archaeological contract: looking through the eyes of the 329 daily press of the nineteenth century Eleftheria Theodoroudi and Kostas Kotsakis PART ThREE: CRITICAL REFLECTIONS 347 3.1 Colonization and the development of archaeology in Senegal 349 Ibrahima Thiaw 3.2 Preserving knowledge as a basic human need: on the history 375 of European archaeological practices and the future of Somali archaeology. An interview with Sada Mire Sjoerd van der Linde and Monique van den Dries 3.3 Europe and the people without archaeology 387 Cristóbal Gnecco 3.4 Archaeological fieldwork in the Middle East: academic agendas, 401 labour politics and neo-colonialism Maria Theresia Starzmann 3.5 Norwegian archaeology and African competence building. An 415 interview with Randi Håland Sjoerd van der Linde and Monique van den Dries NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS Rica Annaert is a PhD candidate at the Vrije Universteit Brussel (VUB) with research on early medieval communities in the Scheldt-valley region. She was the Belgian coordinator for the Archaeology in Contemporary Europe project as researcher archaeology at the Flanders Heritage Agency. E-mail: [email protected] Xurxo M. Ayán Vila is archaeologist at the Institute on Heritages Sciences of the Spanish High Council for Scientific Research. His research interests include Iron Age Archaeology, Archaeology of Contemporary Past and Community Archaeology. E-mail: [email protected] David Barreiro-Martínez works at the Institute of Heritage Sciences (Incipit) of the CSIC. He received his PhD in 2005 for the thesis ‘Archaeology and Society: An Epistemological and Axiological Proposal for an Applied Archaeology’. His research focuses on the theory and practice of Archaeological Heritage Management and Applied Archaeology. His specific interests are Landscape Archaeology, Cultural Landscape, the Philosophy of Science and Technology, Sustainable Development and Cooperation. He was also involved in the Archaeology in Contemporary Europe research network. E-mail: [email protected] Frank Braemer is senior researcher at the CNRS/University of Nice’s lab ‘Culture et environnement: Préhistoire Antiquité Moyen Age’. Specialist of Near Eastern protohistoric architecture and urbanism, he is co-director of the Syro-French archaeological mission in Southern Syria. During the years 2009-2010, he studied the current evolution of archaeological institutions and administration in the Mediteranean countries. E-mail: [email protected] Els Cornelissen is a senior researcher and curator in charge of the Section of Prehistory and Archaeology at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Belgium. Her current research interests are the technological changes at the end of the Stone Age in Central Africa as well as the impact of climate change there on prehistoric communities at the end of the Pleistocene. She has been actively engaged over the last decade in museum practice projects both in Tervuren and in Lubumbashi. E-mail: [email protected] notes on contributors 9 Felipe Criado-Boado has been a full research professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) since 2001, and the director of the Institute of Heritage Sciences (Incipit) of the CSIC since May 2010. Incipit is a new institute created by the CSIC to promote advances and interdisciplinary studies on Cultural Heritage, as well as training and management. Amongst others, his areas of expertise