Race, Science, and the Nation

Reconstructing the Ancient Past in Britain, France and Germany

Nonfiction, History, Modern, 19th Century, European General, 20th Century
Cover of the book Race, Science, and the Nation by Chris Manias, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Chris Manias ISBN: 9781135054694
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: June 7, 2013
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Chris Manias
ISBN: 9781135054694
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: June 7, 2013
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Across the nineteenth century, scholars in Britain, France and the German lands sought to understand their earliest ancestors: the Germanic and Celtic tribes known from classical antiquity, and the newly discovered peoples of prehistory. New fields – philology, archeology and anthropology – interacted, breaking down languages, unearthing artifacts, measuring skulls and recording the customs of "savage" analogues. This was a decidedly national process: disciplines institutionalized on national levels, and their findings seen to have deep implications for the origins of the nation and its "racial composition." However, this operated within broader currents. The wide spread of material and novelty of the methods meant that these approaches formed connections across Europe and beyond, even while national rivalries threatened to tear these networks apart.

Race, Science and the Nation follows this tension, offering a simultaneously comparative, cross-national and multi-disciplinary history of the scholarly reconstruction of European prehistory. As well as showing how interaction between disciplines was key to their formation, it makes arguments of keen relevance to studies of racial thought and nationalism. It shows these researches often worked against attempts to present the chaotic multi-layered ancient eras as times of mythic origin. Instead, they argued that the modern nations of Europe were not only diverse, but were products of long processes of social development and "racial" fusion. This book therefore brings to light a formerly unstudied motif of nineteenth-century national consciousness, showing how intellectuals in the era of nation-building themselves drove an idea of their nations being "constructed" from a useable past.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Across the nineteenth century, scholars in Britain, France and the German lands sought to understand their earliest ancestors: the Germanic and Celtic tribes known from classical antiquity, and the newly discovered peoples of prehistory. New fields – philology, archeology and anthropology – interacted, breaking down languages, unearthing artifacts, measuring skulls and recording the customs of "savage" analogues. This was a decidedly national process: disciplines institutionalized on national levels, and their findings seen to have deep implications for the origins of the nation and its "racial composition." However, this operated within broader currents. The wide spread of material and novelty of the methods meant that these approaches formed connections across Europe and beyond, even while national rivalries threatened to tear these networks apart.

Race, Science and the Nation follows this tension, offering a simultaneously comparative, cross-national and multi-disciplinary history of the scholarly reconstruction of European prehistory. As well as showing how interaction between disciplines was key to their formation, it makes arguments of keen relevance to studies of racial thought and nationalism. It shows these researches often worked against attempts to present the chaotic multi-layered ancient eras as times of mythic origin. Instead, they argued that the modern nations of Europe were not only diverse, but were products of long processes of social development and "racial" fusion. This book therefore brings to light a formerly unstudied motif of nineteenth-century national consciousness, showing how intellectuals in the era of nation-building themselves drove an idea of their nations being "constructed" from a useable past.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Play and Creativity in Art Teaching by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Post-Colonial Shakespeares by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Second Generation United Nations by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Art, Nation and Gender by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Mathematics Education by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Ancient History from Coins by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Psychoanalysis and Ecology at the Edge of Chaos by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer's Disease by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Diasporas and Diplomacy by Chris Manias
Cover of the book International Marketing by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Evaluating the Complex by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Sexualities by Chris Manias
Cover of the book The Suffering Self by Chris Manias
Cover of the book Cognition and Communication by Chris Manias
Cover of the book In Victory, Magnanimity, in Peace, Goodwill by Chris Manias
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy