ABSTRACT
Modern European colonialism affected the whole world, and its legacy is overwhelming today. From this point of view, we could almost start and finish the book with this chapter; it would be enough to review the works and thoughts of European archaeologists on other continents. However, since Said’s Orientalism (1979), we know that colonial categories not only constructed an image of the Other, but were also fundamental in shaping European identity, science, and politics. Thus, there is a particular relationship between colonialism and European archaeology that should be explored. This chapter is divided into two parts: the first part deals with colonial times up to the mid-20th century, the second with the postcolonial period.
