Cultural identity is a key area of debate in contemporary Europe. Despite widespread use of the past in the construction of ethnic, national and European identity, theories of cultural identity have been neglected in archaeology. Focusing on the relationships between concepts of cultural identity today and the interpretation of past cultural groups, this text offers archaeological perspectives on the debate surrounding European identities.

This text on historical archaeology aims to encourage research that goes beyond the boundaries between prehistory and history. Ranging in subject matter from Roman Britain and Classical Greece, to colonial Africa, Brazil and the United States, it should be of interest to students and scholars working in the fields of history, archaeology and cultural resource management.

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 traditional identification of cultures from archaeological remains. However, many argue that such associations of remains with past ethnic groups is hopelessly inadequate. This study calls into question how such evidence is used and what conclusions can legitimately be drawn from it. Sian Jones responds to the need for a reassessment of the ways in which social groups are identified in the archaeological record,...

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 traditional identification of cultures from archaeological remains. However, many argue that such associations of remains with past ethnic groups is hopelessly inadequate. This study calls into question how such evidence is used and what conclusions can legitimately be drawn from it. Sian Jones responds to the need for a reassessment of the ways in which social groups are identified in the archaeological record,...