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Nationalism, Politics, and the Practice of Archaeology: the Case Study of Iran

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Nationalism, Politics, and the Practice of Archaeology: the Case Study of Iran Durham E-Theses Nationalism, Politics, and the Practice of Archaeology: The Case Study of Iran DAROOGHEH-NOKHODCHERI, RANA How to cite: DAROOGHEH-NOKHODCHERI, RANA (2014) Nationalism, Politics, and the Practice of Archaeology: The Case Study of Iran , Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10658/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Nationalism, Politics, and the Practice of Archaeology: The Case Study of Iran Rana Daroogheh-Nokhodcheri Thesis submitted for the degree of Ph.D The Department of Archaeology Durham University 2014 Abstract Since the first pillars of the discipline of archaeology were laid in the nineteenth century, archaeologists have been aware of the potential employment of their research for political purposes. Despite the recognition of the role of archaeology in politics, and specifically in the instigation and promotion of different brands of nationalism, there have been few studies that focused on Iran. To fill this lacuna, this thesis aims to examine the close relationship between the rise of nationalism and its impact on the birth and development of Iranian archaeology. It is argued that during different political periods, in particular during the Qajar, Pahlavi and post-Revolutionary Administrations, various aspects of Iranian history and identity were selected to assist the construction of new State-sponsored narratives. The utilisation of archaeological sites to support the competing brands of nationalism promoted by each of these Administrations is analysed in this thesis through the selection of three case studies that represent the Prehistoric (Sialk), pre-Islamic (Persepolis), and Islamic (Friday Mosque of Isfahan) archaeological periods. Following an interpretive analysis of the internalist and externalist dimensions that fostered the foundation and development of Iranian archaeology, it is concluded that the discipline was born out of nationalistic traditions, and remains exploited as a potential instrument of legitimisation. It is further argued that during certain periods of modern Iranian history, the employment of archaeology to authenticate particular aspects of Iranian identity resulted in the institutionalisation of the discipline. In contrast, during periods when authenticity was sought in ‘charismatic leadership’ or ‘populism’, archaeology was cast aside as a pseudoscience to legitimise the ‘tyranny’ of Iranian dynasties or, alternatively, employed for populist projects to assert a particular impression of Iran as the protectorate of Shi’a Muslims across the globe. This thesis aims to demonstrate that it is only through such analyses of the fluid nature of Iranian archaeology and the review of the history of attempts at its politicisation that Iranian archaeologists can begin to address the potential challenges to their discipline and raise caution against the instrumental application of archaeology as a political tool in service of different political administrations and their nationalistic policies and resume a focus on the outstanding research questions and preservation challenges. ii Table of Contents Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iii Acronyms ....................................................................................................................................................xiii Chapter 1 ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Background to a History of Political Archaeology .............................................................................. 5 1.3. Nationalism and Archaeology in Iran ................................................................................................. 9 1.4. Thesis Outline ................................................................................................................................... 11 1.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Chapter 2 ..................................................................................................................................................... 14 Nationalism & Archaeology in Iran: An Overview................................................................................... 14 2.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2. Nationalism & Archaeology during the Qajar Period....................................................................... 15 2.2.1. The Qajars & the Construction of a Nation: an Experiment ...................................................... 15 2.2.2. The Qajars & Nationalism ......................................................................................................... 17 2.2.3. The Qajars & Reforms ............................................................................................................... 18 2.2.4. An Age of Antiquarianism ......................................................................................................... 20 2.3. Nationalism & Archaeology during the Pahlavi Period .................................................................... 23 2.3.1. The Pahlavis & a Modern Nation-State..................................................................................... 23 2.3.1.1. Reza Shah’s Government & Nationalism ........................................................................... 27 2.3.1.2 Reza Shah’s Government & Reforms .................................................................................. 29 2.3.1.3. An Introduction to Iranian Archaeology ............................................................................ 30 2.3.2.1. Mohammad Reza Shah’s Government & Nationalism ...................................................... 36 2.3.2.2. Mohammad Reza Shah’s Government & Reforms ............................................................ 37 2.3.2.3. The Birth of Iranian Archaeology ....................................................................................... 39 2.4. Nationalism & Archaeology after the Revolution & the Emergence of an Islamic State ................ 42 2.4.1. Populism & Islamic Identity ....................................................................................................... 42 2.4.1.1. Khomeini’s Government & Reforms .................................................................................. 44 2.4.1.2. The Eradication of Archaeology ......................................................................................... 46 2.4.2. Period of Reconstruction ........................................................................................................... 48 2.4.2.1. Rafsanjani’s Administration & Reforms ............................................................................. 48 iii 2.4.2.2. Re-introduction of Archaeology ......................................................................................... 49 2.4.3. Dialogue among Civilisations .................................................................................................... 50 2.4.3.1. Khatami’s Administration & Reforms ................................................................................ 50 2.4.3.2. Re-birth of Iranian Archaeology ......................................................................................... 51 2.4.4. Populism & Principalism ............................................................................................................ 52 2.4.4.1. Ahmadinejad’s Administration & Reforms ........................................................................ 53 2.4.4.2. Populism & Archaeology .................................................................................................... 53 2.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 54 Chapter 3 ..................................................................................................................................................... 56 Approaches, Methodology and Data .......................................................................................................... 56 3.1. Epistemological Framework ............................................................................................................
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