Overview

Over recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in the multidisciplinary archaeology and anthropology of modern conflict. Yet whilst students from a variety of backgrounds are increasingly inspired by an anthropological approach to this new type of archaeology whose subject matter has shaped the modern world, few books have actively addressed the subject from this perspective. As such, this volume provides both a welcome overview of the opportunities afforded scholars by the integration of anthropology and history, as well as a specific investigation into how such an approach can reinvigorate our understanding of the First World War. Gathering together twelve discipline-defining journal articles and chapters published by Nicholas Saunders since 2000, together with two entirely new chapters and a substantial introduction and conclusion, the volume demonstrates the huge potential of an anthropological approach to the archaeology of 20th and 21st century conflict through the lens of the First World War. From trench art to aerial photography, spirituality to the material culture of landscapes, the book draws upon a rich variety of topics and approaches often overlooked by traditional histories, but which can tell us much about the conduct and legacy of modern conflict.

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9781472409591

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1.Introduction: State of the Art: Modern Conflict Archaeology 2. Material Culture and Conflict: The Great War, 1914-2003 Part One: The Material Culture of Conflict 3. Bodies of metal, shells of memory: 'Trench Art' and the Great War Re-cycled 4. The ironic 'culture of shells' in the Great War and beyond 5. Art of War: Engaging the Contested Object 6. People in objects: Individuality and the quotidian in the material culture of war 7. Materiality, Space, and Distance: Dimensioning the Great War, 1914-1918 8. Apprehending Memory: Material Culture and War, 1919-1939 Part Two: Conflict Landscapes and Conflict Archaeology 9. Matter and memory in the landscapes of conflict: The Western Front 1914-1999 10. Crucifix, Calvary, and Cross: materiality and spirituality in Great War Landscapes 11. Trenches in the dunes: Preservation of a conflict landscape at Cabourg, Belgium 12. 'Ulysses's Gaze: The panoptic premise in aerial photography and Great War archaeology 13. Excavating memories: archaeology and the Great War, 1914-2001 14. First World War Archaeology: Between theory and practice 15. Fire on the Desert: Conflict Archaeology and the Great Arab Revolt in Southern Jordan, 1916-1918 16. Conclusion: Future Directions

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