Materialising Ireland : archaeology, identity and modernity in Ireland

Abstract

This thesis explores the role of archaeology in the development of modern conceptions of the past in Ireland. The approach contextualises archaeological studies in Ireland within broader psychoanalytic, anthropological and philosophical theories of the 20th century. In particular, the applied psychoanalytic thought of Dr Vamik Volkan is utilised to provide psychoanalytic terms to describe the emotional responses of modem Irish society to archaeological discovery, conceptions of heritage and historical narrative.