Political and theoretical problems for the archaeological identification of precolonial Twa, Tutsi and Hutu in Rwanda

Although there has been much debate concerning the definition of Twa, Tutsi, and Hutu-and whether they are ethnic, economic or political identities-it is clear that they were important groupings within the Nyiginya Kingdom, The Antecedent to Modern Rwanda (Vansina 2004). In recognition of their importance, mid-20th century archaeologists, influenced by the ethnoracial, colonial construction of precolonial Rwanda, understandably sought to associate these 'ethnicities' with respective archaeologies. However, more recent social histories of Rwanda have deconstructed these precolonial identities, citing their mutability and presenting significant challenges to the archaeological identification of 'Twa', 'Tutsi', and 'Hutu'. This chapter therefore critically evaluates these changing historical perspectives and their implications for the current political climate and the archaeological research I have undertaken in Rwanda (Giblin 2010).