Majestæter, arkæologi og arkæologihistorie

Socially the context of archaeology is supposed to have travelled from kings, princes and aristocracy down to the bourgeoisie and the middle class. However members of the royal family still have a central role as it is seen from the current exhibition “Queen Margrethe II and archaeology” on Moesgård Museum at Århus and the National Museum in Copenhagen. The aim is here to examine the royal archaeology with king Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and queen Margrethe II of Denmark as examples. What kind of archaeology is it that kings and queens have exercised or supported? Does it deviate from archaeology in general? What does the engagement from kings and queens mean to archaeology? Might royal archaeology lead to misuse? Does royal archaeology mean a win-win-situation to all, which makes it difficult to discuss? Finally, might the theory on distinction by Pierre Bourdieu be relevant even to the highest elite of society, however with a reversed formul