Repositioning the Role of Written Sources in Archaeological Research Cover Image

Repozicioniranje uloge antičkih pisanih izvora u arheologiji
Repositioning the Role of Written Sources in Archaeological Research

Author(s): Zorica Kuzmanović
Subject(s): Anthropology, Archaeology, Cultural history
Published by: Филозофски факултет, Универзитет у Београду
Keywords: ancient written sources; Illyrians; late prehistory; culture-historical archaeology;

Summary/Abstract: Contrary to the general attitude that the role of written sources in archaeological research marks the separation between two distinct fields of research – prehistorical and historical archaeology, the critical research into the history of the discipline points that the development of archaeology has not followed this pattern. Rather, the dominant role of the written sources in the study of classical past has been transferred onto the practices of prehistorical archaeology. Discussing the role of ancient sources in the research of the so-called "Illyrian question", this paper addresses the consequences of this dominant role of written sources in the archaeological study of the past and points to the ways in which the interpretation of the classical texts influenced the theoretical-methodological framework of research of the late prehistory of the Balkans.

  • Issue Year: 8/2013
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 763-778
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Serbian