Archaeology, Society and Identity in Modern Japan

This bold and illuminating study examines the role of archaeology in the formation of the modern Japanese nation and explores the processes by which archaeological practice is shaped by national social and intellectual discourse. Leading Japanese archaeologist Koji Mizoguchi argues that an understanding of the past has been a central component in the creation of national identities and that archaeology has played an important role in shaping that understanding. Drawing on cutting edge social theory, the book examines the close interrelationship between archaeology, society and the nature of modernity.

1. Introduction: archaeology in the contemporary world; 2. Modernity and archaeology; 3. Theoretical explication; communication, sociality and the positionality of archaeology; 4. Modernity and archaeology: nation-state, circularity and paradox; 5. Late/high/post-modernity and archaeology: fragmentation, multiculturalism and beyond; 6. Conclusion.