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Since its invention by Renaissance humanists, the myth of the "Middle Ages" has held a uniquely important place in the Western historical imagination. Whether envisioned as an era of lost simplicity or a barbaric nightmare, the medieval past has always served as a mirror for modernity. This book gives an eye-opening account of the ways various political and intellectual projects-from nationalism to the discipline of anthropology-have appropriated the Middle Ages for their own ends. Deploying an interdisciplinary toolkit, author K. Patrick Fazioli grounds his analysis in contemporary struggles over power and identity in the Eastern Alps, while also considering the broader implications for scholarly research and public memory.
List of contents
List of Tables, Figures, and Maps
Acknowledgements
Introduction PART I: ANTHROPOLOGY, HISTORY, AND THE MIDDLE AGES Chapter 1. Manifesto for an Anthropology of Historicity
Chapter 2. Mirror of the Medieval
Chapter 3. Anthropology's Lost Medieval Heritage
PART II: IDENTITY, POWER, AND THE MEDIEVAL PAST IN THE EASTERN ALPINE REGION Chapter 4. German Imperialism and the Early Medieval Past
Chapter 5. Slovenian Identity and the Early Medieval Past
Chapter 6. Beyond Ethnicity: Technological Choice and Communities of Practice
Chapter 7. Christianization, Syncretism, and an Archaeology of Time
Conclusion: Mourning Modernity and the Myth of the Middle Ages
References
Index
About the author
K. Patrick Fazioli is an Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities and Co-Director of the Global Honors Program at Mercy College (NY). He has published on a wide array of topics including ceramic technology, social identity, landscape archaeology, the history of anthropology and archaeology, and critical thinking.
Summary
This book gives an eye-opening account of the ways various political and intellectual projects have appropriated the medieval past for their own ends, grounded in an analysis of contemporary struggles over power and identity in the Eastern Alps.
Additional text
“[This book] marks a vital and welcome contribution to interdisciplinary engagement, connecting academic »communities of practice« that really should be in closer, if cautious, conversation. One can only hope that more anthropologists will follow Fazioli’s call for an ‘anthropology of historicity’ and, in particular, for greater consideration of the ideological stakes underlying the production of historical knowledge about medieval Europe. Perhaps, then, through such cross-disciplinary dialogue, medieval historians might begin to repay their long-standing debt to anthropology.” • Francia-Recensio
“Instead of yet another book about the use and misuse of archaeology or medievalism for political purposes, The Mirror of the Medieval takes the far more difficult path of asking why the Middle Ages are so easily hijacked and misunderstood, approaching the subject from the perspective of anthropology. This is an ambitious, highly original, and persuasive book that belongs on the shelf of any anthropologist, historian, or individual interested in the Middle Ages.” • Florin Curta, University of Florida
“Fazioli clearly and comprehensively deals with the interactions of the past, historical research, and the popular imagination. He fluently combines the methods of history, anthropology, and archaeology in a way that is relevant for all three fields as well as the general public.” • Sebastian Brather, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg
