Colonialismo visual en las excavaciones arqueológicas italianas en Libia

Abstract

This paper examines how Fascist archaeology in Libya became a propaganda tool for the regime, which used imagery to consolidate colonial and power-driven narratives. From the onset of the occupation, archaeologists and military personnel collaborated in the symbolic appropriation of Roman heritage on Libyan soil, presenting Italy’s intervention as a legitimate recovery of the Latin legacy. Photographic production —carefully controlled and manipulated by the state— served to reinforce the discourse of Italy’s civilizing mission, while concealing the underlying colonial violence. The images of the period portrayed soldiers, archaeologists, and Fascist figures posing as the rightful owners of ancient remains, while Libyans were relegated to subordinate roles, depicted either as instruments of forced labor or as picturesque elements meant to highlight exoticism and otherness. This visual representation reinforced colonial hierarchies and the stereotype of the Libyan as both an enemy and an inferior being. Thus, graphic production functioned as a propaganda tool that intertwined science, power, and exoticism to uphold the Fascist imperial narrative.