Illyrians Across the Adriatic: A Cultural History of an Archaeological Culture

This paper focuses on the construction of Illyrians as Iron Age archaeological culture and on the role it played within the Albanian and Yugoslav identity building processes. It explores the evolution and changes of the Illyrian concept and the discourses through time, when and how they were used and how they were influenced by different trends in archaeological interpretation and historical events. By discussing the most relevant theoretical approaches to archaeology that shaped the discipline in Albania and Yugoslavia during the 19th and 20th century, this paper shows how different trends in archaeological interpretation were deeply influenced by changing geopolitical scenarios.