ABSTRACT
Archaeology is a discipline that invites, and perhaps requires, constant critical review. In particular, review is needed of the assumptions that we make about our relationship with the past and how we use material remains to create present-day perceptions and understanding. This is relatively widely accepted for the study of prehistoric periods and of indigenous cultures, but it is equally true when dealing with apparently familiar and thus seemingly straightforward topics such as the Cold War. Many of the issues raised in this chapter are not exclusive to the Cold War, and are applicable to our contact with any periods of the past, yet they can be argued to be particularly relevant to the archaeology of the Cold War (and other recent conflicts). The Cold War provides a particularly valuable and relevant arena for reflexive analysis. This is partly because its study so readily transcends the disciplinary barriers between archaeologists, historians, anthropologists, artists and writers (among others), but mainly because it is such a recent past.
