
Codename Sicilywar
Archaeology, Museums, and Social Networks Under Threat in Sicily During World War II
Antonino Crisa(Author)
Archaeopress Publishing
Published on 21. August 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
642 pages
978-1-80327-863-6 (ISBN)
Description
Codename SICILYWAR is a multidisciplinary, innovative investigation into the impact of World War II on archaeological sites and museums in Sicily (1940-45). The island's cultural and archaeological heritage was under major threat from Allied bombing, landing and military occupation. The book has three main aims. Firstly, it investigates how national, local civilian and military authorities dealt with discoveries of archaeological finds in the area from construction of military structures by the Italian and Allied forces to the protection of antiquities. Secondly, it looks to reconstruct contexts and social networks involving the national and military authorities, archaeologists and local communities, acting and 'clashing' in a state of war and emergency. Finally, it contextualises Sicilian archaeology on the wider European stage, comparing Sicily with other European contexts. The book benefits from a thorough analysis of hundreds of newly-discovered documents (dispatches, letters, reports, pictures, etc.) which are included in a substantial appendix. Social contexts are assessed by a four-level system to identify networks on a national, regional, local and supranational scale. Through the lens of archaeology, history, archival records, museum, social and military studies, the book will benefit a variety of scholars and experts who are jointly interested in the study of Sicilian antiquities, local communities and war contexts in the 1930s and 1940s.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 291 mm
Width: 206 mm
Thickness: 38 mm
Weight
2206 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80327-863-6 (9781803278636)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Antonino 'Nino' Crisa is Assistant Professor of Humanities and Cultural Studies at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University in Saudi Arabia. He was trained at the University of Milan (BA, MA and Specialization) and the University of Leicester (PhD Archaeology, 2015) where he worked as a Classics Teaching Assistant. Dr Crisa also joined the University of Warwick as a Research Fellow in Numismatics (ERC project: Token Communities in the Ancient Mediterranean) (2016-19) and Ghent University (2019-22) as a Marie Curie Sklodowska Researcher carrying out the independent project SICILYWAR.
Author
Assistant Professor of Humanities and Cultural StudiesPrince Mohammad Bin Fahd University