Memory and "sites of memory " as identity-building notions in terms of archaeology

The notions: memory, sites of memory and identity have become the area of contemporary interest in archaeology. Contemporary "usefulness" of the notion of memory is not associated with the idea of the continuity of the historical narra¬tive, this rather applies, in my opinion, to the construction of memory in spatial contexts. In the social sciences, the concept of "memory scape" has been established. Therefore, "archaeology of memoryscape" can be proposed, that is archaeology of a real or symbolic place where "the collective memory is spatialized" (Muzaini, Yeoh 2005:33). If we broaden it by the P. Bourdieu's concept (the field of game theory), the discourse of memory will be, in my opinion, such a field of game. So, it can be treated then as an area shared by a community. And in this meaning, the term "memory" seems to me to be useful for archaeology.The approach to memory, which is characteristic of the present, refers mainly to the "cultures of memory" or "com¬munities of memory", that is to the collective/social memory. This approach is aimed at understanding how the identity of a particular community or a group is constructed by memory. It seems that archaeology can explore that what is called the collective memory (regardless of whether prehistoric or medieval people used such a concept), and less frequently indi¬vidual memory. In this sense, those "sites of memory" are useful, which are visible in space, such as fortified settlements, burial sites etc.

ill. ; 29 cm

il. ; 29 cm