This notable volume provides insight into contemporary perspectives on archaeological approaches to, and memorialisation of, modern battlefields in the context of the First and Second World War. It proposes an interdisciplinary methodology to research the sites and landscapes of modern conflicts, with a focus on the Netherlands. Van der Schriek offers a proficient overview of these topics, starting with the development of modern conflict archaeology as a “distinctive branch within the wider archaeological discipline” (p. 77); the following chapters move on to explore specific applications and discoveries, along with some of the practical and ethical challenges. Van der Schriek points out that, in the Netherlands and other European countries, interest in modern conflict archaeology deviates somewhat from research on ancient sites. To emphasise the specific contribution of modern conflict archaeology, the book begins with a review of studies conducted on various battlefields and other conflict sites worldwide. This aims to show how modern conflict archaeology has adopted a multidisciplinary approach, by applying multiple methods from various disciplines to one specific site in order to document and analyse it from different perspectives, and therefore provide additional information. For example, the analysis of historical sources, such as military reconnaissance photographs or oral history, georeferenced with GIS, or the application of non-invasive techniques, such as LiDAR, supplement the archaeological work (Saunders & Cornish Reference Saunders and Cornish2021: 16). In relation to oral history, the author stresses the well-known fact of the imminent loss of ‘live’ memories, with the passing of the last living witnesses of certain modern conflicts. It is precisely the loss of these first-hand memories that increases the importance of the material remains of these conflicts and emphasises the societal significance of documenting material traces.
The book delves into a consideration of the genesis of modern conflict archaeology as a field of study, including its relationship with the concept of ‘landscape biography’ (Roymans Reference Roymans1995), in order to show how landscapes are constituted in terms both of their materiality and perceptions, especially in the context of heritage and commemoration. Van der Schriek discusses concepts of ‘modern warfare’ to explain how different ways of waging war leave behind distinctive landscapes of destruction, which leave numerous material traces within the landscapes and immaterial traces within, for example, memories or oral history.
In Chapter 4, the author presents examples of modern conflict archaeology conducted within a wider European context: the UK, Belgium (Flanders), France, Germany, Poland, and, most prominently, the Netherlands. Similarities and differences in these national practices of conflict archaeology are identified. Although the suggested “nation-specific character” (p. 37) of these archaeologies is plausibly presented, the author should have more strongly emphasised the similarities that link the methodological approaches and research questions internationally. Indeed, strong similarities in the choice of the methodologies can be observed in various studies (for a recent example, see Storch et al. Reference Storch, Jarmer, Adam and de Lange2022). This also underlines van der Schriek's demand for the consideration of the archaeology of modern conflict landscapes as a distinct field of study, as well as highlighting the chance and necessity to view it as a connecting element in modern and interdisciplinary research.
Since the author demands a multidisciplinary approach, it is unfortunate that the book omits some recent works in this field of study by mixed teams of specialists, which emphasise that such research must be considered as no longer the sole remit of archaeologists. Indeed, it would be sensible for all such research projects to adopt a multidisciplinary framework from the outset. Any approach to the study of complex events such as wars should draw on a variety of disciplines while conducting research on their material and immaterial remains. The resulting discoveries are not only important for learning and teaching about the past and for memorialisation processes in the present but would allow also for consideration of different perspectives and values in approaches to the subject. Indeed, the author stresses the importance of public interest in, and support for, archaeological research, which would align with this approach.
Chapter 5 discusses essential questions about heritage management, excavations and metal-detecting in the Netherlands. In particular, it addresses the challenging implications for modern conflict archaeology of laws and other types of regulations that potentially constrain research possibilities.
The volume highlights the importance of the application of LiDAR and use of the resulting digital evaluation models (DEMs), to show how non-invasive methods offer a unique approach of identifying and mapping otherwise ‘hidden’ traces that can contribute significantly to research on modern conflicts. Here, van der Schriek again highlights the importance of the interdisciplinary approach and discusses crucial considerations regarding the correct use of these data, providing several examples of the analysis of DEMs of conflict sites.
This volume aims to make a fundamental contribution to the methodological research of modern conflict archaeology, with an emphasis on the Netherlands. The author's ideas and concerns apply to modern conflict archaeology generally and are of great significance for future archaeological investigations since—as the author rightly points out—material traces of past conflicts are threatened with transformation or destruction by human activities and natural processes. As those with first-hand memories dwindle in number, these material traces must take on even greater importance as witnesses to past conflict and therefore require careful documentation and study.
