Curators, objects and the indigenous agency

Abstract The article deals with specific field within the history of science: the institutional as well as biographical history of anthropological and archaeological museums. Through several case studies, more general questions are explored, those that inquire into the role of museums in delineating the agenda of anthropology and archaeology; the role of leading personalities of this discipline in envisioning and operating the museum institutions; the relationships between museums and governing institutions in national and (post)colonial contexts, and the interaction of museum with the general public, and specifically with the indigenous groups – that is, the very groups archaeology and anthropology are aiming to study.