Why Classics Needs Anthropology

Summary

While it is true that theoretical advancements are slow to cross disciplinary boundaries, when disciplines by necessity overlap, it seems almost willfull ignorance that perpetuates old frameworks. For example, it has been over thirty years now that anthropology and colonial studies have come to terms with the complexities of identity in colonial contexts and yet scholars in related disciplines, such as Classics, still argue over which label imposed by colonizers should be used for which indigenous group in particular areas. What is the utility of these types of discussions? Rather, it is essential that more scholars look towards interdisciplinary methods in order to advance our overall understanding of colonial encounters in the past. Therefore, this paper looks to address specifically how anthropological theories on colonialism can and should be applied to the study of culture contact and colonization in the Classical world.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Breaking Boundaries: Exploring Colonialism in the Modern World and Beyond

Keywords

Spatial Coverage