Session: #856

Content:

Our shared pasts, particularly in their Western retellings, are dominated by empires. The Assyrian empire, the Inca, the Timurid empire, the Mali empire, and of course the Roman empire, are some of the most common past polities that are shared in academic and popular history. These entities are often considered inevitable phenomena in global history, as linear developments of powers that grow from their immediate territories, to global domination. The cultural imprint of empires has also been a centerpiece of archaeological and heritage discourse and practice. Palaces, temples, and burials with treasures of great kings and emperors have been sought after from the early stages of our discipline in the 19th century all the way to the present. Such finds have also become mainstays of the way heritage is presented by modern nation states, and the way national identities are built on the grandiose pasts of empires. Palaces become museums or parliaments. Statues of kings and emperors adorn plazas and government buildings, such as the (replica) of equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius emperor at Campidoglio in Rome. These emperors are, more often than not, men who have left a bloody history of conquest and destruction but are venerated as the “greats” of history.

In this session we aim to explore and put under scrutiny such imperial narratives, arguing that if archaeology and heritage practice aims at a future that is inclusive and diverse, it needs to deconstruct the histories and heritages of empires. As such we are looking for papers within the broader theme of resistance to power and empire(s) related but not limited to:
Archaeology of empires
Anarchist archaeology perspectives
Heritage & Museum Studies
Contemporary archaeology
Gender and queer archaeology
Any kind of topic pertaining to archaeology and heritage against empire(s).

Session: #856

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