Balkan Dialogues. Spatial Boundaries and Cultural Identities in the Prehistoric Balkans
The relationship between material culture and group identity is a major concern for the discipline of prehistoric archaeology and, simultaneously, a highly political issue. Currently, historically contingent concepts of culture and identity shape our understanding of the past, making very tangible the danger of recognizing past identities along modern lines. This does not lead simply to biased interpretations of the past, but also to manipulation of resemblance and homogeneity in the archaeological record to create cultural entities i.e. identities that serve modern political purposes. These issues are particularly salient in the archaeology of the present-day Balkan countries with their complex history of ethnic conflicts. The main objective of the proposed conference is to provide a setting for a reassessment of the meaning of spatial patterning and boundaries in the distribution of material culture in the prehistory of the Balkans, from the beginning of the Neolithic period to the Middle Bronze Age. The event will assemble established and young scholars from different countries and research traditions who are currently involved in archaeological fieldwork in the Balkans. The presentation of novel theoretical approaches and new data from the region will provide an interdisciplinary background for a critical reconsideration of the traditional approach to cultural identity which forms the theoretical backbone of the prehistoric research in the peninsula.
Kontakt:
PD Dr. Mariya Ivanova / Dr. Maja Gori
Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Vorderasiatische Archäologie
Universität Heidelberg
Marstallhof 4
69117 Heidelberg
E-Mail: ivanova@uni-heidelberg.de
