Lecture - Archaeology and the National Novel
Presentation
A lecture organized in partnership with the Pont du Gard and Heritage Association, featuring Professor Jean-Paul Demoule, Professor Emeritus of European Protohistory and former president of INRAP, the Institut Universitaire de France, and the University of Paris.
Every nation has its own national narrative, celebrating its long history dating back to the dawn of
time. What makes France’s narrative unique is that it truly dates back only to the late 19th
century, when the Third Republic established a secular, free, and compulsory school system.
It was only then that the Gauls became “our ancestors,” for until then, few
wished to claim descent from the vanquished—especially those described as savages by
their Roman conquerors. Born out of a defeat at the hands of Germany, the new Republic
was able to come to terms with the defeat at Alesia. This was not without consequences for the archaeology
of the national territory, which was consistently underfunded, unlike the major
French expeditions to the East, Greece, or Italy—the only civilizations represented in
our great national museum, the Louvre. This lecture will seek to trace this complex history,
drawing on the most recent research in both archaeology
and history, from the earliest human presence on our territory
to the present day.
time. What makes France’s narrative unique is that it truly dates back only to the late 19th
century, when the Third Republic established a secular, free, and compulsory school system.
It was only then that the Gauls became “our ancestors,” for until then, few
wished to claim descent from the vanquished—especially those described as savages by
their Roman conquerors. Born out of a defeat at the hands of Germany, the new Republic
was able to come to terms with the defeat at Alesia. This was not without consequences for the archaeology
of the national territory, which was consistently underfunded, unlike the major
French expeditions to the East, Greece, or Italy—the only civilizations represented in
our great national museum, the Louvre. This lecture will seek to trace this complex history,
drawing on the most recent research in both archaeology
and history, from the earliest human presence on our territory
to the present day.
- CONFERENCES & ATELIERS :
- CONFERENCES & ATELIERS
Destination
Salon Racine
1 Place du Duché
30700
Uzès
GPS coordinates
Latitude : 44.01329
Longitude : 4.42009