Ancient Monuments and Modern Identities : a Critical History of Archaeology in 19th and 20th Century Greece / edited by Sofia Voutsaki and Paul Cartledge.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Ancient monuments and modern identities / Sofia Voutsaki -- 1. The provenance of Greek painted vases: disciplinary debates and modern identities in the early 19th century / Giovanna Ceserani -- 2. Travellers and ruins in the Spartan landscape: a ghost story / Paraskevas Matalas -- 3. The reception of J.J. Winckelmann by Greek scholarship during the formative stage of the Modern Greek state (1832-1862) / Irene Fatsea -- 4. The legal protection of antiquities in Greece and national identity / Daphne Voudouri -- 5. Displaying archaeology - exhibiting ideology in 19th and early 20th century Greek museums / Andromache Gazi -- 6. Archaeology and politics: The Greek-German Olympia excavations treaty, 1869-1875 / Thanassis N. Bohotis -- 7. The Hellenization of the prehistoric past: the search for Greek identity in the work of Christos Tsountas / Sofia Voutsaki -- 8. 'The stamp of national life': plaster casts and their uses in Greece at the end of the 19th century / Alexandra Alexandri -- 9. Beyond the debt to Antiquity: constructing a national architecture for Modern Greece / Eleni Bast�ea -- 10. Are histories of archaeology good to think with? / Michael Fotiadis -- 11. Why should the state protect the cultural heritage? The answer offered by Greek law / Vassilis Voutsakis.

"Ancient Monuments and Modern Identities sets out to examine the role of archaeology in the creation of ethnic, national and social identities in 19th and 20th century Greece. The essays included in this volume examine the development of interpretative and methodological principles guiding the recovery, protection and interpretation of material remains and their presentation to the public. The role of archaeology is examined alongside prevailing perceptions of the past and is thereby situated in its political and ideological context. The book is organized chronologically and follows the changing attitudes to the past during the formation, expansion and consolidation of the modern Greek State"--Provided by publisher.