In this introductory chapter, the various ways of thinking and non-thinking about translators in Translation Studies will first be traced and explained in a nutshell in the form of an “archaeological investigation”. This can serve as a basis for deriving the theoretical and methodological prerequisites for a kind of Translation Studies that is not primarily concerned with texts but with people. The second question that arises is the choice of adequate frameworks, concepts and sources to investigate human translators. The sources (e.g. paratexts, translations, letters, interviews, biographies, etc.) and the concepts chosen do have an impact on the research questions. Various facets of translators are topics that have been dealt with for some time, whereas theoretical and methodological issues have not yet been addressed in a systematic and comprehensive way. Finally, there is the question of why translators should become the subjects of research instead of the translations. What value do insights about individuals or groups have for Translation Studies? And with the focus on the individual, might not the research be considered subjective, thus questioning the “scientific nature” of Translation Studies?