Siân Jones

The question of ethnicity is highly controversial in contemporary archaeology. Indigenous and nationalist claims to territory often rely on reconstructions of the past based on the identification of cultures from archaeological remains, in spite of the fact that many consider the association of remains with past ethnic groups to be hopelessly inadequate. Sian Jones examines historical misuses of this type and argues that the archaeology of ethnicity has never really been subjected to any serious theoretical analysis. She responds to the need for a reassessment of the ways in which social groups are identified in the archaeological record with a comprehensive and critical synthesis of recent theories of ethnicity in the human sciences. In so doing, she argues for a fundamentally different view of ethnicity, as a complex dynamic form of identification, requiring radical changes in archaeological analysis and interpretation.

Constructing Identities in the Past and Present

The Archaeology of Ethnicity

Sarah Pearce

This volume of essays explores the broad theme of the relationship between Jewish identity and patriotism in the period between the destruction of the First Temple and late antiquity, with special attention to the Graeco-Roman period. The authors focus on Jewish local identification with particular lands, including the Land of Israel, and the existence of local forms of patriotism. The approaches represented are interdisciplinary in nature and draw on a wide range of sources, including archaeological remains, literary material, and inscriptions. These essays share a comparative perspective on the diverse social and historical contexts in which the Jews of antiquity lived.

Siân Jones

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