@misc{Baranowska_Małgorzata_Archaeology_2006, author={Baranowska, Małgorzata and Baranowski, Tadeusz}, volume={44}, address={Warszawa}, journal={Archaeologia Polona}, howpublished={online}, year={2006}, publisher={Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology Polish Academy of Sciences}, language={eng}, abstract={The authors have selected four Polish poets: Cyprian Norwid, Zbigniew Herbert, Wisława Szymborska and Jacek Kaczmarski to illustrate ontological and epistemological problems, as well as the principles of ethics that link archaeology and poetry. Zbigniew Herbert wondered what happens with things separated from their context. He did it to ask the question: does an archaeologist have any commitment to former generations? Cyprian Norwid's criticism of the approach to archaeological material was very modern in that he asked why interpretation did not aim at reaching a synthesis. Thus he posed the essential question: "What for the research?". Not everything can be measured and counted. Separating things from their spiritual aspect threatens humanity. The archaeologist is a guardian of the Mystery. Just as poetry interprets the present, so archaeology interprets the past. That symbol of humanity, Pompeii, drives the imagination because it has captured a moment, petrifying a vision of a world now lost. Both Szymborska's and Kaczmarski's poems preserve the spiritual aspect of human life. An archaeologist interpreting the "language" spoken by artefacts discovered in the ground is inferior to the poet, because poetry naturally reflects the spiritual side of our life. Poets ask questions about deeper issues in archaeological research, while archaeologists often concen-trate on just the findings}, type={Text}, title={Archaeology as the pre-text for poetry. The loneliness of ancient deities or on the other side of a showcase}, keywords={poetry, archaeology, material things, spirit, Cyprian Norwid, Wisława Szymborska, Zbigniew Herbert, Jacek Kaczmarski}, }