Materiel Culture The Archaeology of Twentieth-Century Conflict

"Materiel culture" encompasses the material remains of conflict, from buildings and monuments to artifacts and militia, as well as human remains. This collection of essays, from an international range of contributors, illustrates the diversity in this material record, highlights the difficulties and challenges in preserving, presenting and interpreting it, and above all demonstrates the significant role materiel culture can play in contemporary society.

Matriel culture encompasses the material remains of conflict, from buildings and monuments to artefacts and militia, as well as human remains. This collection of essays, from an international range of contributors, illustrates the diversity in this material record, highlights the difficulties and challenges in preserving, presenting and interpreting it, and above all demonstrates the significant role matriel culture can play in contemporary society. Among the many studies are: * the 'culture of shells' * the archaeology of nuclear testing grounds * Cambodia's 'killing fields' * the Berlin Wall * and the biography of a medal *the reappearance of Argentina's 'disappeared' *World War II concentration camps.

List of figures. List of tables. List of contributors. Preface. 1. Introduction: Matriel culture in the modern world John Schofield, William Gray Johnson and Colleen M. Beck 2. Paradox in places: twentieth century battlefield sites in long-term perspective John Carman 3. The ironic 'culture of shells' in the Great War and beyond Nicholas J. Saunders 4. The battlefield of the Dukla Pass - an archaeological perspective on the end of the Cold War in Europe Roger Leech 5. The Salpa Line - a monument of the future: the traces of war in the Finnish cultural landscape Ulla-Riitta Kauppi 6. Forgotten and refound military structures in the Central Pacific: examples from the Marshall Islands Henrik Christiansen 7. The archaeology of scientific experiments at a nuclear testing ground Colleen M. Beck 8. Missing in action: searching for America's war dead Lisa Hoshower-Leppo 9. Mapping Cambodia's 'Killing Fields' Helen Jarvis 10. Tell the truth: the archaeology of human rights abuses in Guatemala and the former Yugoslavia Rebecca Saunders 11. Violent spaces: conflict over the reappearance of Argentina's disappeared Zo Crossland 12. Biography of a medal: people and the things they value Jody Joy 13. Monuments and the memories of war: motivations for preserving military sites in England John Schofield 14. 'So suspicious of enemies': Australia's late nineteenth and twentieth century coastal defences, their archaeology and interpretation Denis Gojak 15. Historic airfields: evaluation and conservation Jeremy Lake 16. Social space and social control: analyzing movement and management on modern military sites Michael J. Anderton 17. The differing development paths of World War II concentration camps and the possibility of an application of a principal of equifinality John G. Beech 18. A many-faced heritage: the wars of Indochina P. Bion Griffin 19. Evaluating and managing Cold War era historic properties: the cultural significance of US Air Force defensive radar systems Mandy Whorton 20. Archaeological examination of Cold War architecture: a reactionary cultural response to the threat of nuclear war William Gray Johnson 21. The Berlin Wall: an archaeological site in progress Gabi Dolff-Bonekmper 22. Managing heritage in District Six, Cape Town: conflicts past and present Antonia Malan and Crain Soudien 23. In small things remembered: significance and vulnerability in the management of Robben Island World Heritage Site Kate Clark 24. Troubling remnants: dealing with the remains of conflict in Northern Ireland Neil Jarman 25. Displaying history's violent heritage: how does the archivist approach exhibiting documents which relate to violent events? Anne E. George

Colleen M. Beck, William Gray Johnson, John Schofield