that English-speaking archaeologists working in theWelds mentioned above are
unfairly over-represented), his Encyclopedia of Archaeology. History and
Discoveries(2001) contains a more balanced—and extremely useful—summary
of events in the history of world archaeology. However, the work does not
include a synthesis which would serve to highlight some of the commonalities
and contrasts between the areas. This volume represents an attempt to
overcome the inadequacies of looking at particular aspects in isolation and
provides a more global account, allowing comparisons so far ignored in
histories of the discipline.
Secondly, the history provided in this book also diVers from others in the
way in which the emergence and advances of archaeological practice and
theory are described. These are, for theWrst time, placed within the frame-
work of contemporary political events. The history of archaeology narrated in
the following chapters can be described as broadly written from an externalist
perspective. As against a more recent emphasis on the analysis of scientiWc
practice (Collins 1983; Latour 1987), this book undertakes a study of the
longue-dure ́e, exploring the social and historical conditionings of nineteenth-
century archaeological social and technical procedures and theoretical basis.
It does not see archaeology as a privileged science, but rather as a product of
history (Bourdieu 1993; 2000; 2004). It endeavours to provide a better
understanding of the institutional and theoretical development of archae-
ology over the nineteenth century. It does not attempt to develop an epi-
stemological examination but seeks to explore the novel appeal that
archaeology engendered in so many individuals in the Western world and
the reasons behind its acceptance as an academic discipline. It looks particu-
larly at the role archaeology played in forging the political map of the
nineteenth-century world, in substantiating the historical consciousness at
the root of nation-states, nations-to-be, colonies, and empires. For the latter
two, concepts from theWeld of post-colonial studies assist in providing a
novel perspective on events taking place in formal and informal colonies. This
work also assesses the versatility of the relationship between archaeology and
nationalism, paying particular attention to alternative practices and dis-
courses emerging from within the diVerentWelds of archaeology. Moreover,
this volume also explores the interplay between imperialism and nationalism
and its reXection in the tensions and contradictions between the search for the
origins of the national past and in that of the Great Civilizations.
Thirdly, the account found in this book diVers from others in that it will
demonstrate that, despite nationalism—and imperialism and colonialism
linked to it—being a key issue in the understanding of the development of
nineteenth-century archaeology, internationalism should not be forgotten. It
will be stressed that, despite the usefulness of national histories, they only
24 Archaeology in the Nineteenth Century