About Antiquities: Politics of Archaeology in the Ottoman Empire
Zeynep Celik
Antiquities have been pawns in empire-building and global rivalries; power struggles; assertions of national and cultural identities; and cross-cultural exchanges, cooperation, abuses, and misunderstandings—all with the underlying element of financial gain. Indeed, “who owns antiquity?” is a contentious question in many of today’s international conflicts.
About Antiquities offers an interdisciplinary study of the relationship between archaeology and empire-building around the turn of the twentieth century. Starting at Istanbul and focusing on antiquities from the Ottoman territories, Zeynep Çelik examines the popular discourse surrounding claims to the past in London, Paris, Berlin, and New York. She compares and contrasts the experiences of ... Read more
Recovering perspectives that have been lost in histories of archaeology, particularly those of the excavation laborers whose voices have never been heard, About Antiquities provides important historical context for current controversies surrounding nation-building and the ownership of the past.
Show LessProduct Details
About Zeynep Celik
Reviews for About Antiquities: Politics of Archaeology in the Ottoman Empire
The Art Bulletin
[A] complex and wide-ranging book…[Çelik] provides a rewarding exploration of complexity in the rich history of archaeology and ... Read more