Archaeology and Marxism in Poland: A Personal Account

I examine the 40-year period of archaeology under communism in Poland through my personal experience as eyewitness to the birth of post-WWII archaeology in Eastern Europe under Soviet domination. I point out the seminal events that influenced teaching and impacted the structure of archaeology. I specifically discuss the emergence of the Institute of the History of Material Culture, the beginnings of Slavic archaeology as a new subdiscipline, well-funded research related to the formation of the Polish state, failed cooperation with Soviet archaeologists and successful joint projects with the French, Italian and British colleagues. I also point out to misdirected and politically inspired research topics such as ethnogenesis of Slavs.