Fascist Prehistory: Nationalist and Internationalist dimensions of the human origin researches in the fascist capital (1925-1942)

FascistPrehistory proposes to study the development of palaeolithic archaeology as a field of inquiry in fascist Italy.

Breaking away from the traditional historiographic association of archaeology with nationalism, the project seeks to open an international perspective on the conditions that shaped scientific development of the Homo sapiens paradigm under fascism.

Considering the Vatican crucial role as a vector of the internationalization of the fascist project, FascistPrehistory scrutinizes the co-construction of the universalist paradigm of Homo sapiens in the contexts of fascist Rome during the 1920s through 40s.

It sets its focus on interwar Rome as both the national centre and international display case of Italian culture under the fascist regime.

It explores the developments leading up to, and in between, two major shows of palaeolithic archaeology at the Vatican Missionary Exhibition (1925) and the Esposizione Universale di Roma (1942), respectively.

The project concentrates on the role archaeologists played in the construction of the fascist international cultural agenda through their elaboration of universalists scientific discourses.Bringing together leading experts in the fields of scientific internationalism (Maastricht University) and Catholic and contemporary history (secondment, cole franaise de Rome), FascistPrehistory aims to renew our understanding of the role of the sciences in the building of a cosmopolitan culture under fascism.

By means of the placement at Istituto Italiano di Paleontologia Umana, the project will also provide an accessible introduction to fascist scientific heritage to various audiences.