Warum wir mehr Archäologie des Mittelalters und der Neuzeit an den Universitäten brauchen

Abstract

The archaeology of the 19th and 20th centuries is part of the discipline of medieval and post-medieval archaeology and thus belongs to the smallest of archaeological disciplines tought at German universities. Medieval and post-medieval archaeology can only be studied at five universities, whereas prehistoric and early historic archaeology, for example, exists at 25 universities. This is in stark contrast to the practice of heritage preservation and the reality of excavations: at least 50 % of all excavations conducted in Germany relate to material remains from the medieval and modern periods. Compared internationally, German universities do poorly, particularly when it comes to teaching the archaeology of the modern period. This article takes a closer look at this imbalance and underpins the individual aspects with facts. The conclusion is: we not only need more archaeology of the 19th and 20th centuries but need more medieval and postmedieval archaeology (or historical archaeology) at German universities.