Towards archaeology of colonization: living in-between continents in the Early Modern period

Abstract

Of all the archaeology topics addressed by European historiography of the 20th century, the period following the 15th century is the most neglected. And currently it still is. In the 21st century, it thrives more dynamically even if not in a cohesive way but rather through a scattered and sometimes confusing process. Furthermore, currently there is such a range of semantics to address this period that it is almost impossible to provide a concise overview that comprise all existing perspectives. Additionally, the most interesting works developed in Europe are coincidentally those that present a clear and progressive approach towards the interpretative models of historical archaeology.

The first years of the 21st century seem to point to a more dynamic framework. The archaeological studies were reshaped and their instrumental and describing intentions were joined by a strong hermeneutical ambition. Simultaneously, the studied topics are now broader attempting for a more complete and multifaceted historical reconstruction.