Published: 2025-10-30

The value of authenticity in relation to full-scale archaeological reconstructions

Michał Pawleta
Przegląd Archeologiczny
Section: Articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.23858/PA73.2025.3896

Abstract

The article addresses the issue of authenticity in the context of representations of the past created by archaeology. Starting from the traditional, dominant understanding of authenticity as the originality of monuments that have preserved their original features and form, I discuss alternative approaches to authenticity that focus not on the authenticity of material but on the ways of experiencing the past. Using full-scale open-air archaeological reconstructions as an example, I focus on the authenticity of relationships with the past that are created through copies, replicas, or re-enactments of life in prehistoric times. I argue that both original artefacts and archaeological sites, as well as their reconstructions, can carry values, including the value of authenticity, although understood in different ways. I also highlight the need for a deeper reflection on the concept of authenticity and its value in the context of contemporary archaeological practice, particularly in activities aimed at popularizing knowledge of the past among people outside this discipline.

Keywords:

authenticity, open-air archaeological reconstructions, experiencing the past, pastness

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Pawleta, M. (2025). The value of authenticity in relation to full-scale archaeological reconstructions. Przegląd Archeologiczny, 73, 5–21. https://doi.org/10.23858/PA73.2025.3896

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