Lietuvos istorijos institutas

In this article, I discuss the manner in which the model proposed by Marija Gimbutas regarding the Indo- European migration in Europe was perceived by Romanian specialists. The article is also an extension of my efforts to understand the relations between prehistoric Transylvania and the North-Pontic steppe. Approached from this historiographic perspective, the subject illustrates a situation symptomatic of Romanian archaeology: the lack, with few exceptions, of serious debates on this controversial subject, the frequent repetition of unverified opinions, statements supported by invalid arguments, etc.

Return features heavily in the narratives and lives of Romanian immigrants in London, as a key topic of debate rather than a mere end goal of their migration. By analysing their experiences of temporary return, this paper1 reveals the tensions and contradictions embedded in migrants’ transnational social networks. It applies a two-fold focus: first examining the importance of return for Romanians in London; then considering how experiences of temporary return shape migrants’ social networks. The paper is based on data from my scoping doctoral fieldwork, five weeks of participant observation and interviews with Romanians in northwest London.