A formidably national archaeology? The impact of crypto-colonialism on archaeological research in Iran

The article examines the links between archaeology, nationalism and (crypto-)colonialism using the example of Iran. The starting point is that archaeology has been not only a scientific enterprise but also a deeply political project since its emergence. The central question is how archaeological knowledge has been instrumentalised in colonial and post-colonial contexts to construct national identities - often marginalising or ignoring cultural plurality.Particular attention is paid to the concept of crypto-colonialism, which describes the paradoxical power relations in formally independent but de facto hegemonic states such as Iran. In the area of conflict between adaptation to Western standards and self-assertion through recourse to an idealised pre-Islamic past, an archaeological practice developed that actively supported state power.Case studies are used to analyse the role of archaeology as an instrument of knowledge and power. The aim is to show the entanglements of researchers and to provide impulses for a critical-reflexive, decolonising archaeology.