Excavating Memory

Sites of Remembering and Forgetting

Maria Theresia Starzmann, John R. Roby

• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9780813055688
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Anthropology
• Index: Social Sciences

In this compelling study, Maria Theresia Starzmann and John Roby bring together an international cast of experts who move beyond the traditional framework of the "constructed past" to look at not only how the past is remembered but also who remembers it. They convincingly argue that memory is a complex process, shaped by remembering and forgetting, inscription and erasure, presence and absence. Collective memory influences which stories are told over others, ultimately shaping narratives about identity, family, and culture.

This interdisciplinary volume--melding anthropology, archaeology, sociology, history, philosophy, literature, and archival studies--explores such diverse arenas as archaeological objects, human remains, colonial landscapes, public protests, national memorials, art installations, testimonies, and even digital space as places of memory. Examining important sites of memory, including the Victory Memorial to Soviet Army, Blair Mountain, Spanish penitentiaries, African shrines, and the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, the contributors highlight the myriad ways communities reinforce or reinterpret their pasts.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Excavating Memory
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Maps
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Engaging Memory: An Introduction
• Part I. Sites of Contestation: Memory Work in the Nation-State
• Part II. Unremembered Heritage: Memories and Silences
• Part III. Storied Landscapes: Memory as Embodied Practice
• Part IV. Violence and Conflict: Excavating Painful Memories
• List of Contributors
• Index