The Communist Way: a Look upon Soviet Archaeology in Occupied Latvia

This article examines the history of archaeology in Latvia during the Soviet occupation (1940–1941; 1944–1991), trying to understand the consequences brought in the field of archaeology by the single-party led experiment of communism. The research is based on archival studies and uses the historica...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Zenta Broka-Lāce
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences 2022-08-01
Series:Studia Historiae Scientiarum
Online Access:https://ojs.ejournals.eu/SHS/article/view/8018
Description
Summary:This article examines the history of archaeology in Latvia during the Soviet occupation (1940–1941; 1944–1991), trying to understand the consequences brought in the field of archaeology by the single-party led experiment of communism. The research is based on archival studies and uses the historical method, source criticism and historiography. Author explains the nature of the prescribed theoretical and methodological guidelines as well as actual implications of the ‘communist way’ in archaeology. The article challenges the common belief that archaeology and prehistory were ideologically freer than other branches of history during the Soviet era.
ISSN:2451-3202
2543-702X