Gustaf Kossinna’s Nationalistic Agenda as Trojan Horse in the Archaeological Concept of Culture
Gustaf Kossinna’s Nationalistic Agenda as Trojan Horse in the Archaeological Concept of Culture

Summary/Abstract: After more than 100 years of established culture studies, there is no consensus on a general definition of the concept of “culture” despite its importance to academic study. So, what is culture? How can the concept help to understand societies and how can it help to understand historical processes? Do we see cultures as closed systems, for which reason culture is rather a straitjacket that does not advance our understanding of group relations and ultimately serves only the hierarchical separation of the others? From order to subordination? Whilst within current cultural studies culture is seen as fluid and in constant change, culture is in fact created, conveyed, appropriated, and adapted according to social requirements. Nevertheless, the perception of culture as primordial and static is well established, especially in archaeology. The concept of culture in archaeology goes back to Gustaf Kossinna (1858–1931). His concept of culture can be traced back to a national discourse that started in the 15th century in Germany and had its peak in the 19th-century vцlkisch movement. With this concept Kossinna gave archaeology a tool for a nationalistic agenda – and a misconception of culture.

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