The Great War in the Alps

This book provides the first account of the Isonzo/Soča frontline through the multidisciplinary lens of modern conflict archaeology, offering unique insights into multilayered conflict landscapes of the Soča Front.

Archaeological research into the sites of the Soča Front of the First World War in present‑day Slovenia has been gathering momentum for more than a decade now. The main chapters are accompanied by a historical and theoretical overview of Great War archaeology and modern conflict archaeology in Europe, with a focus on Slovenia and Central and Eastern Europe. Readers are provided with a historical summary of the battles on the Soča Front to enhance understanding of the multilayered conflict landscapes examined in three central chapters. The first one focuses on evolving attitudes toward the Soča Front’s heritage and the gradual militarisation of the landscape up until the outbreak of hostilities in late May 1915. The second main chapter explores the archaeological aspects of the conflict landscape from 1915 to 1917, including the landscape of the dead, memory, and the salvage of useful war matériel after the conflict ended. The third central chapter analyses the battlefield on Mt. Rombon as a multilayered conflict landscape through the lens of modern conflict archaeology.

This book is intended for all those interested in the archaeology and history of the somewhat lesser‑known Soča Front of the First World War. Due to its focus on the topic of modern conflict archaeology, this book is aimed at archaeologists, historians, anthropologists, geographers, and others who study conflict landscapes, material culture, and the multilayered legacies of the First World War.