Fennoscandia archaeologica XXXIII (2016) Timo Salminen IN SEARCH OF A NORDIC IDEA? THE FIRST FIVE NORDIC MEETINGS OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS 1916–27 Abstract International congresses of archaeology ceased abruptly after the outbreak of the First World War. The first Nordic Meeting of Archaeologists was held in 1916 in Kristiania (Norway). The first five meetings are analysed in this study. From the very beginning, these meetings were highly significant both for introducing new finds and for bringing interpretations under discussion. Also methodological questions, especially those relating to scientific methods, were included in the programmes. On the other hand, archaeological theory was not dealt with, nor was there any unanimity on theoretical questions. Diffusionist explanation models dominated the presentations, but a considerable plurality of views was allowed. Ideological connotations can be observed in several papers and excursions, but ethnic questions were relatively marginal. The various attempts to discover a common Nordic idea at the meetings did not lead to significant results. On a practical level, the meetings proved to be important from the beginning. Keywords: Nordic Meetings of Archaeologists, international contacts in archaeology, Nordic coun- tries, history of archaeology Timo Salminen, Lopentie 10 C 45, FI-11100 Riihimäki, Finland:
[email protected]. Received: 2 Jun 2016; Accepted: 15 Sep 2016; Revised: 10 Oct 2016. NORDIC MEETINGS OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS independence (Baudou 2004: 205–8; Salminen 2014a: 49–55). The first