英国ロンドン大学ユニバーシティ・カレッジ考古学研究所にて、訪問講師として日本考古学関連コースを担当し、論文指導にも当たった経験などを生かし、日本考古学の性質を知識社会学的観点から西洋語圏向けに紹介する主旨の研究書。Leading Japanese archaeologist Koji Mizoguchi argues that an understanding of the past has been a central component in the creation of national identities and modern nation states and that, since its emergence as a distinct academic discipline in the modern era, archaeology has played an important role in shaping that understanding.