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From Landscape of War to Archaeological Report: Ten Years of Professional World War I Archaeology in Flanders (Belgium)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

Yannick Van Hollebeeke ,
Birger Stichelbaut  and
Jean Bourgeois
Yannick Van Hollebeeke
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Belgium
Birger Stichelbaut
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Belgium
Jean Bourgeois
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Belgium
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Abstract

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With the commemoration of World War I (WWI) under way, a preliminary stocktaking can be made of archaeological research into the physical remains of this war. The question is to what extent the perspective on the study of WWI heritage, and consequently the way in which archaeological research into WWI remains has been conducted, has evolved over the last ten years. Are relics from WWI seen as a legitimate subject of inquiry or does its archaeology as a discipline still strive for recognition? This paper deals with the practices surrounding WWI archaeology in Flanders, Belgium, as well as the (methodological) problems concerning the study of WWI archaeological remains, based on the reports resulting from fieldwork carried out by professional archaeologists.

À l'occasion des commémorations de la Première Guerre mondiale, le temps est venu d'effectuer un inventaire préalable de la recherche archéologique sur les vestiges physiques de cette guerre. La question est de savoir dans quelle mesure la perspective sur les études de l'héritage de la Grande Guerre—et par conséquent la façon par laquelle les recherches archéologiques de ses vestiges ont été menées—a évolué durant les dix dernières années. Les reliques de la Première Guerre mondiale sont-elles considérées comme un légitime sujet d'enquête, ou faut-il que cette archéologie lutte toujours pour sa reconnaissance? Nous analysons ici les pratiques de l'archéologie de la Première Guerre mondiale en Flandre (Belgique) ainsi que les problèmes (méthodologiques) soulevés lors de l'étude des restes archéologiques de cette guerre, en nous basant sur les comptes rendus provenant du travail sur le terrain mené par des archéologues professionnels.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Im Zuge der aktuellen Erinnerung an den Ersten Weltkrieg kann eine vorläufige Bestandsaufnahme der archäologischen Erforschung der physischen Hinterlassenschaften dieses Krieges vorgenommen werden. Es stellt sich die Frage, in welchem Maße sich die Perspektive der Untersuchung des historischen Erbes des Ersten Weltkrieges—und dementsprechend auch die archäologische Erforschung seiner Hinterlassenschaften—im Laufe der letzten zehn Jahre entwickelt hat. Werden Überreste des Ersten Weltkriegs mittlerweile als seriöses Untersuchungsfeld angesehen oder kämpft ihre Archäologie noch immer als Anerkennung als Disziplin? Auf der Basis von Forschungsberichten professioneller Archäologen diskutiert dieser Beitrag die Praktiken der Archäologie des Ersten Weltkrieges in Flandern (Belgien) sowie auch ihre methodologischen Probleme. Translation by Heiner Schwarzberg.

Keywords

World War Imodern conflict archaeologyaerial photographybattlefield archaeologyarchaeological practicematerial culturePremière Guerre mondialearchéologie des conflits modernesphotographie aériennearchéologie des champs de bataillepratique archéologiqueculture matérielleErster WeltkriegArchäologie moderner KonflikteLuftbildfotografieSchlachtfeldarchäologiearchäologische Praxismaterielle Kultur
Type
Articles
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , 2014 , pp. 702 - 719
Copyright
Copyright © European Association of Archaeologists 2014 

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