Archaeology and nationalism: The Trojan legend in Etruria.

摘要

National borders, continuously drawn and redrawn through history to represent ever-changing political configurations, would be mere inconsistent lines on geographical maps if they were not reinforced by national cohesive beliefs and collective national interests. The fragmentation of the Soviet Union and the emergence of new nations, the intense debate taking place in Western Europe about federation on one hand and the retention of individual national identity on the other, the request within the European Community to expand membership to additional NATO countries while preserving regional languages and cultural traditions, are all indicators of a renewed generalized interest in the concept of nationalism and the process of national identity formation. Within the process of national identity formation some disciplines have played a crucial role in the establishment and promotion of national unification and ethnic cohesion: archaeology is, without any doubt, one of these disciplines.;In this study, the role of archaeology in relation to national identity formation will be analyzed in one of the most debated archaeological subjects in the western world, the case of Etruscan origins. This study will demonstrate how through history the Etruscan legend has permeated the political reality at many levels and how this legend of provenience has been used to promote the formation of national identity and unified mythical ethnic origins. The ultimate purpose of this study is to demonstrate that what is accepted today as solid and objective cultural reality of the past might have been fluid expressions opportunistically shaped and used through time to promote both political and personal agendas.