ABSTRACT
The social and political influence of archaeology within nationalist states is widely recognized, but we have to take it a step further than this. Archaeology can be said to be one of the factors that helped to shape modern Western society. In this connection we should recognize the fact that the growth of scientific archaeology is very closely related to the emergence of the economic thinking and social structures characterising modernity. Not only in a nationalist context are pictures of prehistoric man and the image of the archaeologist used as a point of social reference. Moreover, it is crucial to understand that images of the archaeologist and prehistoric man, in view of their many-facetted utilization by Western society, in a sense reflect the values and norms of Western society. In this connection, acceptance of the results of archaeological research affects a very specific portion of European space and time perception, and helps-on a meta-level-to channel human behaviour, which is primarily based on society’s ideas of progress and evolution, i.e., things are they way they are because they have succeeded in competition. As a social inspiration (Leitbild), the socially integrative potential of archaeological research is concerned with the provision of an identity at all levels and the structuring of social behaviour. Thus, archaeology has a considerable responsibility to face up to.
