The scientific discipline of pre- and protohistorical archaeology developed from antiquarian studies, the roots of which are to be found in the Renaissance. At first, antiquarian studies were dedicated to creating identities for the nations north of the Alps. The diachronic studies covering 500 years presented in this book introduce the reader to decisive methodological innovations which enabled archaeological sources to gain ever more historical weight in comparison with the written sources, and so contributed to the foundation of archaeological methodology.