The Formation and Maintenance of Communities of Practice: The Role of Book Reviews in British Archaeology 1840–1860

The nineteenth century was a pivotal time for archaeology which aimed to distance itself from its antiquarian roots through the establishment of national bodies, its own methodology and by striving for academic credibility. This was also the time when Britain experienced an explosion of print, with about 125,000 newspaper and periodical titles being published.1 In response, the review journal became a popular and pervasive genre. Although reviews have been used in single-author studies, they have received little attention outside of the literary fields. A recent issue of the Victorian Periodicals Review has, however, demonstrated the potential of reviews as a source for the history of other disciplines.2 This paper will focus on reviews of books on Romano-British archaeology published between 1840 and 1860 to show how they can illuminate the development of archaeology during this formative period. It will reveal that book reviews played a crucial role in shaping and maintaining the scholarly community, helping to determine membership, aims and objectives. Reviews also affected subject methodology, by promoting how to conduct research and disseminate findings. Reviewers found themselves in a powerful position, with a platform to reach and influence the general public and the ability to support or undermine authors and their projects.