Romanticized Landscapes and Idealized People: Imperialist, Colonialist, and Nationalist Narratives in European/Eurasian Stone Age Archaeology

Abstract

The Anthropocene considers the ways that humans alter landscapes and ecosystems from either recent times and/or deep past. Hence, palaeoclimatology, palaeoenvironmental studies, palaeoecology, and archaeology are among the best tools to understand long-lasting processes impacting Earth. Debates among landscape archaeologists concerning global environmental change over time can contribute to shape future research agendas and policy frameworks. By doing so, careful examination of the social and cultural context in which research is conducted is too seldom, sometimes leading to a biased understanding of history. Colonialism has impacted cultures and environments globally, and one aspect that is currently being discussed is the (de)colonization of knowledge, especially within academic research