Resumo
Soil figures prominently in fascist and colonialist narratives and imaginary, most obviously in the Blut und Boden ideology of the Nazi regime. It has been, however, also central in many other ideological movements of the twentieth century, as in French nationalism—Maurice Barrès’ La terre et les morts—and in Spanish fascism—in Spanish tierra means both land and soil. Abstracted notions of soil, earth and land contrast with archaeological approaches, which are deeply empirical. My point is that archaeology, through its engagement with earth, at the same time sensuous and analytical, can counteract the idealized narratives of extremism, in a moment when they are coming back in force. For the short plenary presentation, I will propose an archaeological perspective on soil focusing on the idea of (biogeochemical) countermemory. For the longer presentation, I will illustrate the idea of soil countermermory through three archaeological vignettes where earth plays a prominent role. My stories come from fieldwork in Europe (Spain) and in colonial contexts (Ethiopia and Somaliland).
Palabras chave
Patrimonio negativo. Memoriales. Arqueología contemporánea. Arte contemporáneo.