Present Pasts

Margaret Murray’s Meat Curry

Amara Thornton — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 10:50:24 +0000

In 1937 in Jerash, Transjordan, Margaret Murray gave Gerald Lankester Harding recipes for meat curry and dahl. This article briefly traces each archaeologist’s personal and professional trajectory as they moved between Britain and various imperial outposts, and situates the recipes within the complex contexts of their histories. The recipes, staples of Anglo-Indian cuisine, take on new meaning as symbols of the hybridity of archaeological identity in the late 19^thand early 20^thcenturies.

The Archaeology of Digital Abandonment: Online Sustainability and Archaeological Sites

Matt Law, Colleen Morgan — Fri, 02 May 2014 09:58:30 +0000

After 15 years of hosting millions of user-built webpages, in April 2009 Yahoo! announced that they would be shutting down their United States Geocities webpages. Geocities was once the most common hosting service for low-cost personal webpages, including hundreds of public outreach sites about archaeology. Were the webpages moved to another hosting site, archived, or just abandoned? We tracked and recorded the fate of 88 of these webpages, eventually sending a survey to the webmasters asking them a range of questions. While we received relatively few responses, the answers to the questions were illuminating. Much of the current digital outreach performed all over the world relies on ‘free’ services such as Twitter, Flickr, Wordpress, Google Pages, or Facebook to host their content. What can the fate of archaeological content on Geocities pages tell us about the benefits and risks of using commercial infrastructure for archaeological outreach? We propose that sorting through the digital wreckage of past outreach efforts helps us to evaluate the eventual fate of the archaeological presence online.

Spectral Anatomies: Heritage, Hauntology and the ‘Ghosts’ of Varosha

Colin Sterling — Thu, 01 May 2014 14:22:05 +0000

This paper unravels the idea of the ‘ghost town’ - and more specifically the deserted district of Varosha, Famagusta - as it relates to heritage, questioning the discursive dynamics and affective potential of what can seem a trite and therefore hollow phrase. Drawing on apposite theories of hauntology (Derrida 1993) and the ghosts of place (Bell 1997) I argue that there is a dense back-and-forth between two distinct positions in this term, both of which play into wider heritage processes. The first understands the ghost town as an empty if uniquely atmospheric space, ripe for development or ‘dark tourism’ (Lennon and Foley 2000). Heritage is implicated here in the protection and promotion of sites which may be perceived as ‘ruin porn’ - by turns melancholy and exhilarating but fundamentally removed from contemporary life. The second position unsettles this reading by focusing on the complexities of the very word ‘ghost’, here understood as ‘the sense of the presence of those who are not physically there’ (Bell 1997: 813). From this perspective, common heritage practices (including collecting, exhibiting and narrating) might be seen as an attempt to psychologically re-inhabit vacant places, a process which takes on extra significance around the highly politicised context of Varosha. Through fieldwork, archival research and intertextual and visual analysis I track the description of Varosha as a ghost town across journalism, contemporary art and diasporic discourse, in the process anatomising this spectral designation to reconceptualise its wider relevance to heritage.

PUBLICISING PETRIE: Financing Fieldwork in British Mandate Palestine (1926–1938)

Rachael Thyrza Sparks — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 10:03:34 +0000

The cost of archaeological fieldwork has always been high, even for someone as notoriously parsimonious as Flinders Petrie. Money was constantly needed to finance his excavations, bring objects back to England and organize publication of the results. Over the course of his career Petrie developed a range of fundraising strategies, including setting up the British School of Archaeology in Egypt to coordinate efforts. Moving his base of operations to British Mandate Palestine brought a whole new series of challenges, not the least being how to generate public interest in this new endeavour. This paper will explore the various methods by which funds were generated to support Petrie’s research, including use of newspaper and radio coverage, public lectures and exhibitions, merchandising and appeals to the generosity of individual patrons. It will also consider how the purposes of fundraising developed over time, and ways in which we can measure the success of the tactics used.

‘… a certain faculty for extricating cash’: Collective Sponsorship in Late 19th and Early 20th Century British Archaeology

Amara Thornton — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 10:49:39 +0000

Collective sponsorship was crucial for the evolution of archaeological research in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Britain. This paper will briefly introduce the use of collective sponsorship in British archaeology during this period and chart the changes evident as more substantial ‘block’ funding became available with the creation of new institutions. It will explore the gradual shift away from ‘private’ to ‘public’ forms of funding, and highlight an emerging dominance of industry and professionalism over the seemingly aristocratic, amateur tradition. However it posits that even with increasing consolidation, the strength of personal networks provided both foundation and maintenance for the new age.

The Attitudes of Palestinian Religious Scholars and Institutions toward the Looting of Palestine's Archaeological Heritage

Salah H. A. Al-Houdalieh — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:29:11 +0000

Over the past several decades, Palestine’s archaeological heritage has faced serious challenges caused by the looting of antiquities. This ongoing phenomenon has resulted in the partial or total destruction of thousands of archaeological sites and features, and the extraction of hundreds of thousands of heritage objects. Despite the tremendous efforts made toward the protection of these archaeological resources, the Palestinians must redouble their endeavors and begin to create new, appropriate and practical measures in order to safeguard their homeland’s heritage.

This paper focuses on the attitudes of Palestinian religious institutions and religious scholars toward the looting of archaeological material by Palestinians from heritage sites located within the Palestinian National Territories. It consists of two parts: (a) a fieldwork project carried out by the author over a significant period to examine the religious attitudes of Muslim and Christian religious institutions and their scholars toward this issue, and (b) presentation of the results in a workshop organized by the Institute of Archaeology of Al-Quds University, under the same title as this paper, held on November 21st, 2011 on the Abu Dies campus. The principle aim of this study is to inquire into the official attitudes expressed by the Palestinian religious institutions and scholars regarding this problem and then to make this information available to the public.

Constructing Identity and Heritage at the Crossroads: Albanian Families’ Cross-Border Connections and Homemaking Projects in Athens

Eleni Vomvyla — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:25:21 +0000

Drawing from the author’s ethnographic/participatory work with Albanian families in Athens, this paper tells the story of two families constructing identity and heritage in Greece and Albania. The processes involved in the families’ literal and metaphorical connections with the ‘old country’, manifested in cross-border links, everyday routines and material cultures, are integral to their homebuilding projects in their new locale. Given families’ multiple-place-allegiance and disenfranchised status in a Greek context, theories on transnationalism and history and heritage from below are utilised in order to consider identity and heritage formation in the course of everyday routines. It is argued that the experience of building lives in more than two worlds results in the emergence of plurilocal identities, challenging spatially bounded notions of heritage.

A Reply to "Should the UK Be Nominating More World Heritage Sites?"

Peter G. Gould — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:27:34 +0000

Commodity Forms and Levels of Value in Archaeology: A Response to Gestrich

Gabriel Moshenska, Paul Burtenshaw — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:02:57 +0000

Putting a Price on the Past: The Ethics and Economics of Archaeology in the Marketplace - A Reply to "What is Public Archaeology"

Nikolas Gestrich — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:35:14 +0000

Should the UK be nominating More World Heritage Sites?

Kirsty Norman — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:32:17 +0000

This article is an account of a challenge issued in a seminar at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL in October 2010: it looks at the changing political and economic context within which the UK nominates World Heritage Sites, and questions whether – practically, and even ethically – we should be continuing to submit sites to the World Heritage Committee for inclusion on the World Heritage List.

Over the last few years, my work has provided me a with series of insights into particular aspects of the World Heritage question: an analysis of the Tentative List Review process for English Heritage, and of the responses to the “World Heritage for the Nation” consultation for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), followed by a year of work on the UK’s latest World Heritage Site nomination of the Twin Monastery of Wearmouth and Jarrow, and on the management plan for the World Heritage Site of Ancient Merv (Turkmenistan). This cocktail of World Heritage research and practice has given me, like many, a respect for the concept and the ideals behind it, but doubts about the implementation. My conclusions are personal and partial, and if they generate further discussion I will have achieved my aim.

‘Impudent Lies’: Rhetoric and Reality in Wartime Heritage Protection, 1943-2003

Gabriel Moshenska — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:26:27 +0000

This paper offers a historical perspective on the current debates about the protection of museums, heritage and archaeological sites during warfare or civil conflict. Mortimer Wheeler’s experiences of heritage destruction in North Africa during the Second World War, despite government promises of protection, demonstrate striking parallels with events and debates following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. A comparison between these two episodes highlights a common political duplicity and disdain for heritage issues in wartime. This failure of formal mechanisms of heritage protection highlights the vital importance of heritage professionals maintaining international contact networks, even between combatant nations, to monitor and report threats to archaeological sites and museums.

Searching for the Real Florida in the Land of Make Believe: Historical Archaeology as Public Archaeology, Orange County, Florida

Jason Wenzel, Tiffany George — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:17:47 +0000

Orange County encompasses the city of Orlando and is home to over one million residents and attracts millions of tourists annually. Starting in the twentieth century, areas in the county sustained intensive agricultural use and later massive residential and commercial development. As a result of these activities, natural and historic areas were spoiled while others vanished completely. Prior to the 1970s and the establishment of Walt Disney World, the area’s tourism industry revolved primarily around its natural amenities, only to be supplanted by a form that was thematic and “make believe”. In 2006, an archaeology program was initiated to unearth the county’s early history as a way of searching for the “real Florida.” This paper will discuss how public archaeology has the potential for addressing problems that affect cultural and natural resources as history is unearthed at the neighborhood level.

Saving Eighteenth-Century New Smyrnea: Public Archaeology in Action

Roger Grange — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:11:27 +0000

During the British Period in Florida the New Smyrnea settlement (1768-1777) was part of the British effort to populate East Florida. The settlement pattern of modern New Smyrna Beach overlaps that of eighteenth-century New Smyrnea creating a complex setting for historical and archaeological research. This paper reviews the efforts of local citizen volunteers, historians, archaeologists, and civic officials to recover part of their city’s heritage through archaeology and historical research. City, county, state, national, and international levels have been involved. Some sites have been excavated, others have been lost, and some have been preserved during the past decade and the future will bring many more challenges.

Public Involvement in the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Michael Nassaney — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:04:18 +0000

The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project was initiated in 1998 to locate and investigate an eighteenth-century French mission, garrison, and trading post. Public education and outreach have been essential to the success of the project from the start. Various stakeholders are recognizing the potential benefits and consequences of site investigation, heritage tourism, and a partnership with a large state university. The future of public involvement in the project and the lessons to be learned are dependent upon our ability to identify common ground in which archaeology serves as a metaphor for the discovery and recovery of our collective past.

Doing Archaeology Publicly: The Bayshore Homes Project, Florida

Robert J. Austin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:58:52 +0000

The Bayshore Homes site is a precolumbian mound and midden complex located in the Parque Narváez neighborhood of Pinellas County, Florida. Over the past decade, archaeological excavation and research have been conducted in a very public environment: the front and back yards of the subdivision’s residents. Involving the residents as partners in the process of discovery about the neighborhood’s ancient past has been an essential component of the project since its inception. This paper discusses the results of such involvement, from the use of volunteers to educating residents about the importance of preserving the neighborhood’s Native American heritage.

Heritage, Neighborhoods and Cosmopolitan Sensibilities: Poly-Communal Archaeology in Deerfield, Massachusetts

Siobhan Hart — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:54:03 +0000

Cosmopolitan sensibilities acknowledging mutual obligations and human interconnectedness can orient people navigating the complexities of neighborhood and other forms of community-based archaeology. I suggest that practice aimed at engaging in ethical heritage work in neighborhoods can benefit from fostering cosmopolitan values among participants and stakeholders. I outline a model for “poly-communal archaeology,” an approach that takes a cosmopolitan stance and engages multiple stakeholders in neighborhood archaeology and heritage work. I then reflect on a case study of heritage work that employs such an approach in the neighborhood of “Old Deerfield” in western Massachusetts, U.S.A. In this case, a cosmopolitan sensibility is deployed to restructure the social relations that underpin heritage work.

Front Yard, Back Yard: Lessons in Neighborhood Archaeology in an Urban Environment

Brent Weisman — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:48:47 +0000

Doing archaeology right where people live brings immediacy to the processes of site interpretation and heritage-making not usually present in more remote projects. When people can peer down into their buried history or the history of their neighborhood as they move about in the course of their daily lives, public archaeology suddenly becomes very personal. Memory and imagination blend together to create connections to a past that are both highly idiosyncratic and of the political present. Two projects in Tampa aimed at unearthing the forgotten history of the recent past are examined as case studies.

Community Organizing in Public Archaeology: Coalitions for the Preservation of a Hidden History in Florida

Uzi Baram — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:43:06 +0000

Looking for Angola, an interdisciplinary research project seeking material remains of an early nineteenth-century maroon community, has faced the challenges of locating archaeological remains in an urban environment. Public outreach and community involvement in Bradenton, Florida since 2004 has intersected with public archaeology as applied anthropology, service learning, and civic engagement. The role of the archaeologist in these types of endeavors deserves continuing attention, and community organizing as inspired by Saul Alinsky is offered as a possibility in light of one of the survey areas facing development that threatened the homes of its residents, historic structures, and the archaeological record. Community organizing is relevant for the continuing concerns in public archaeology for conservation, preservation, and collaborative commemoration of the past.

Neighborhood Archaeology: Exploring the Significance of Volunteers, Communities, and Local Politics for Contemporary Archaeology

Uzi Baram, Robert J. Austin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:38:13 +0000

The expanding discussions of public archaeology have propelled consideration of the roles for descendant communities, both linear descendants and those with social ties to the peoples whose lives are being studied. Consideration of local communities has included the economic potential of heritage tourism and the dynamics of civic engagements. There have been important contributions on issues of race and recently on class. This collection seeks to extend consideration of public archaeology as civic engagements within urban neighborhoods, to explore the implications of archaeological research within and with complex social places. The integration of volunteers, the significance of archaeological sites and historic structures for communities, and the local politics involved in historic preservation and neighborliness focus the contributions.

Who “Owns” the Euphronios Krater? Nationalism and Internationalism in the Protection of Archaeological Heritage

Marina Papa-Sokal — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:23:55 +0000

This paper is based in part on a longer article, “Beyond the nationalist–internationalist polarisation in the protection of archaeological heritage: A response to Professor Merryman”, that was published in Art Antiquity and Law, vol. XIV, no. 3 (October 2009), pp. 237–274. We thank the editor of Art Antiquity and Law for permission to republish some of this material here.

Editorial

Brian Hole — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:19:13 +0000

Editorial

Brian Hole — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 19:43:00 +0000

'Keys of the Past: Keys to the Future' - A Critical Analysis of the Construction of the Palestinian National Museum Policy as an Alternative Deconstruction of Routinised International Heritage Discourse

Beverley Butler — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:34:27 +0000

Writing in a recent issue of The Jerusalem Quarterly, Doumani (2009) is one of a number of critics who in diagnosing the spread of ‘archive fever’ in Palestine has made the connection between the growing phenomena of a popular ‘archival impulse’ and the on-going violences (structural, direct, cultural, among many others) synonymous with the occupation of Palestine by Israel. This paper offers a critical reading of one particular intervention within this turbulent yet vital Palestinian archival and heritage context: the process of developing a Palestinian National Museum Policy (PNMP). I argue that the urgent need to reject ‘top-down’ formatted models synonymous with the heritage ‘Holy Trinity’ -UN/UNESCO, International consultant(s) and states-party - is paramount as is the need to foster, support and extend the alternative ‘bottom up’ approach by drawing upon sustained research into relevant heritage networks and to engage with the issues, agendas, needs and ‘voices’ collecting around the popular expression of ‘archive fever’. As described in this paper the beginnings of such a transformed model emerged from PNMP workshop sessions and related discussions but require more dedicated investigation. Certainly this and other comments reiterated by Palestinian voices address the need for new and alternative forms of heritage and museum development strategies and models in local, regional, national and international contexts. What must be concluded from this experience is that the process of constructing the PNMP likewise offered an effective deconstruction of routinised practice and this is something to take forward as a significant outcome and cause for both recognition and cautious optimism. By doing so, dominant heritage discourse, as a site synonymous with structural violence, can be transformed into a more ‘just’ space of ethics and shared action.

كتب الباحثون في العدد الأخير من مجلة القدس الفصلية ، دوماني (2009) وهي واحدة من عدد من النقاد الذين يقومون بتشخيص انتشار”’حمى الارشيف” في فلسطين, جعلت من العلاقة بين الظواهر المتزايدة من” دفعة الأرشفة” ، والعنف المسمتر(البنيوي والمباشر والثقافي ، و أشياء أخرى كثيرة) مرادفا لاحتلال فلسطين من قبل اسرائيل. هذه الورقة تقدم قراءة نقدية واحدة تدخل خاصة ضمن الأرشيف و التراث الفلسطيني المضطرب والذي ما زال حيويا : عملية وضع السياسات للمتحف الوطني الفلسطيني. أنا أعتقد أن الحاجة الملحة لرفض “من أعلى إلى أسفل” نماذج متناسقة مع تراث “الثالوث المقدس”و اليونسكو ,المستشارون الدوليون ,والدول الاعضاء هو أمر بالغ الاهمية, ودعم وتوسيع النهج البديل”من أسفل الى أعلى” بالاعتماد على البحث المستمر في شبكات التراث ذات الصلة والتعامل مع القضايا والاحتياجات والخطط وجمع الأصوات في جميع أنحاء التعبير الشعبي”لحمى الأرشيف” ,كما هو موضح في هذه الورقة ظهرت بدايات تحول هذا النموذج من جلسات ورشات عمل “السياسات الوطنية للمتحف الفلسطيني” والمناقشات ذات الصلة ولكنها تحتاج إلى مزيد من التحقيق المخصص. بالتأكيد , هذه التعليقات وغيرها من التي تكررت من قبل الفلسطينين قامت بتحديد وتلبية الحاجة الى اشكال جديدة وبديلة للتراث ,واستراتيجيات التنمية وتطوير المتاحف , والسياقات الإقليمية والوطنية والدولية. والذي يجب استخلاصه من هذه التجربة هو ان عملية انشاء وتكوين “السياسات الوطنية للمتحف الفلسطيني” ,بالمثل عملت بفاعلية على تفكيك النمط او الممارسة الروتينية . وهذا شيء للمضي قدما في تحقيق نتائج كبيرة والسبب للاعتراف والتفاؤل الحذر على حد سواء, وبعمل ذلك ,, يمكن تحويل الخطاب التراثي المهيمن ، كموقع مرادفا للعنف الهيكلي ، الىشيء أكثر من كونه عمل أخلاقي و عمل مشترك.

Authoritarism and Archaeology in Portugal

Leandro Infantini, Rita Poloni — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:43:49 +0000

This paper aims to address the relationship between Portuguese archaeological production and the employment of authoritarian policies during the dictatorship and the democratic period in two specific fields, those of colonial archaeology and underwater archaeology.

تهدف هذه المقالة إلى معالجة العلاقة بين الإنتاج البرتغالي الأثري , وتوظيف السياسات الاستبدادية خلال فترة الديكتاتورية والديمقراطية في مجالين محددين ، وهي الآثار الاستعمارية والآثار تحت المائية.

Preparing for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and Natural Disaster: Developing New Dimension Standards for Sheltering Moveable Objects

Holger Eichberger — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:20:52 +0000

This paper forms an outline of the author’s research project “Die Entwicklung eines Dimensionsstandards für einen Kulturgüterschutzraum im Krankenhauswesen” (“The development of a dimension standard for a shelter room of cultural property for hospitals”) at the Division of Health Sciences, programme for Information Technology and Engineering, at The Health and Life Sciences University Hall/Tyrol, Austria. For this version all aspects concerning hospital-specific issues have been removed. It is stated that precautions for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict and natural disaster are a moral and (in most countries also) a legal obligation for every stakeholder of such property. Nevertheless, shelter rooms for movable cultural property in case of emergency are rare installations in general, mostly because of financial considerations. It is argued that by finding an optimal dimension standard for shelter rooms, the costs for such installations can be minimized. Suggestions for finding solutions are hereby proposed.

تُشَكِل هذه المقالة الخطوط العريضة لمشروع بحث مقدم بعنوان (“وضع معايير بأبعاد جديدة لغرفة حماية الممتلكات الثقافية بالمستشفيات”) في شعبة العلوم الصحية ، وبرنامج تكنولوجيا المعلومات والهندسة ، في قاعة علوم الصحة والحياة, تيرول / ، النمسا النمسا. في هذا الإصدار, جميع الجوانب المتعلقة بقضايا المستشفيات الخاصة قد أزيلت, . ويذكر أن الاحتياطات المطلوبة لحماية الممتلكات الثقافية في حالة النزاع المسلح والكوارث الطبيعية هي احتياطات أخلاقية ، و(في معظم البلدان أيضا) التزام قانوني على كل أصحاب المصلحة لهذه الممتلكات. ومع ذلك ، فان غرف حماية الممتلكات الثقافية بالمنشآت في حالة الطوارئ نادرة بشكل عام ، وهذا بسبب الاعتبارات المالية غالباً. ويقال إن من خلال ايجاد الأبعاد والمعاييرالأمثل لغرف الحماية يمكن ان يقلل من تكاليف هذه المنشآت. وهناك اقتراحات لتقديم الحلول بما يتعلق بهذا المقترح.

The Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict: the Cultural Property Protection Officer as a Liaison Between the Military and the Civil Sector

Friedrich T Schipper, Holger Eichberger — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:02:43 +0000

This paper deals with the implementation of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Protocols in armed forces focusing on the Austrian Armed Forces as a best-practice example thereof. It argues for: a. the importance of cultural property protection being an integral element of any military doctrine drafted by political authorities, of a special military directive for cultural property protection, and of cultural property protection being an element in all rules of engagement; b. for the concept of a Cultural Property Protection Officer or Liaison Officer: Military Cultural Property Protection as the professional military staff member responsible for ensuring cultural property protection is considered by their commanders in any situation in times of peace as well as during the conduct of missions; c. for also taking cultural property protection into account for multinational missions such as peace support operations, as well as for military disaster relief missions; d. for the cooperation of the military with non-governmental organizations for developing, implementing, and improving principles of military cultural property protection.

تتناول هذه المقالة تنفيذ الاتفاقية المتعلقة بحماية الممتلكات الثقافية في حالة نشوب نزاع مسلح وبروتوكولاتها في القوات المسلحة مع التركيز على القوات المسلحة النمساوية مثالا لأفضل الممارسات منه. وتناقش: (أ) أهمية حماية الملكية الثقافية كجزء لا يتجزأ من أي عقيدة عسكرية وضعتها السلطات السياسية كتوجه عسكري خاص لحماية الممتلكات الثقافية ، وان حماية الممتلكات الثقافية هي عنصر في كل قواعد الاشتباك. (ب) لمفهوم موظف حماية الملكية الثقافية أو ضابط الاتصال : حماية الملكية الثقافية عسكريا كمجموعة عسكرية متخصصة و مسؤولة عن ضمان حماية الملكية الثقافية, يعينون من قبل قادتهم في أي حالة في أوقات السلم وكذلك أثناء سير البعثات. (ج). أخذ حماية الملكية الثقافية في الاعتبار للبعثات متعددة الجنسيات مثل عمليات دعم السلام ، و البعثات العسكرية الاغاثية في حالات الكوارث ؛( د). التعاون العسكري مع المنظمات غير الحكومية لتطوير وتنفيذ وتحسين المبادئ العسكرية لحماية الملكية الثقافية.

Imperialist Networks: Ancient Assyria and the United States

Reinhard Bernbeck — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:31:00 +0000

Over the last decade many historians and political analysts have sought to highlight similarities between the American and Roman Empires. This paper presents an alternative to these equations by comparing the American and the Assyrian empire, based on my contention that they have structural similarities not shared by Rome.

على مدى العقد الماضي, قام العديد من المؤرخين والمحللين السياسيين بتسليط الضوء على أوجه التشابه بين الامبراطوريات الرومانية والأمريكية. وتعرض هذه الورقة بديلا لهذه المعادلات من خلال مقارنة لأمريكا والإمبراطورية الآشورية ، على أساس اختلافي معهم بأن لديهم التشابه الهيكلي ,لا تشاركهم به روما.

Structural Violence as Political Experience in Palestine: An Archaeology of the Past in the Present

Maria Theresia Starzmann — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:51:04 +0000

While structural violence is indispensable to the functioning of Empire, its existence remains unacknowledged in mainstream political discourse. Perpetual checkpoints and insufficient infrastructure in Palestine are instances of violence that are integral to an ever-expanding Israeli state. This paper analyzes how archaeological narratives contribute to trauma and suffering in Palestine, and discusses alternative ways of doing an archaeology that is politically conscious by acknowledging co-responsibility for structural inequalities. Here it is critical that the practice of reflexively locating ourselves as researchers is taken beyond the epistemological level into the realm of political transformation: I propose a methodological shift in academic knowledge production that practices a politics of location and advocates alignment with oppressed peoples. Positing an ‘archaeology of the past in the present,’ I argue that this shift can be intellectually and politically meaningful only if it avoids analytical closure and recognizes how political struggle generates knowledge that can contribute to a just archaeological research agenda.

في حين أن العنف الهيكلي امرٌ لا غنىً عنه في عمل الامبراطورية , فان وجوده لا يزال غير معترف به في خطاب التيار السياسي الرئيسي. نقاط التفتيش الدائمة والبنية التحتية الغير كافية في فلسطين هي حالات من العنف والذي هو جزء لا يتجزأ من الاستمرار بتوسع دولة اسرائيل المستمر. . هذه المقالة تحلل كيفية مساهمة ( الأثرية السرد) في الصدمة والمعاناة في فلسطين ، وتناقش السبل والطرق البديلة للعمل في علم الآثار والتي توجد الوعي السياسي من خلال الاعتراف بالمسؤولية المشتركة عن الاختلالات الهيكلية. من المهم هنا ان ممارستنا لعملية توظيف انفسنا كباحثين بالغريزة , اخذت تتجاوز المستوى المعرفي في عالم التحول السياسي : أقترح التحول المنهجي في انتاج المعرفة الأكاديمية التي تمارس السياسة من موقع التوافق مع المدافعين عن الشعوب المضطهدة . افتراض ان “ علم اثار الماضي ,بالحاضر” , أنا اعتقد ان هذا التحول يمكن ان يكون ذا معنى سياسي وفكري ,فقط اذا تجنب اغلاق التحليلات وأدرك كيف ان النضال السياسي يولد المعرفة التي يمكن ان تسهم في جدولة اعمال للبحوث الأثرية فقط.

Looting and ‘Salvaging’ the Heritage of Palestine

Adel H. Yahya — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:03:32 +0000

This paper describes the how illegal digging and the antiquities trade are ravaging Palestinian cultural heritage.

تصف هذه المقالة كيفية تساهم الحفريات غير القانونية وتجارة الأثار في تخريب التراث الفلسطيني

The Palestinian–Israeli Draft Agreement on Archaeological Heritage

Adel H. Yahya — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:15:58 +0000

This paper describes the Palestinian-Israeli Draft Agreement on Archaeological Heritage and its conception, highlighting the main points of agreement and the recommendations made.

تصف هذه المقالة مسودة مشروع الاتفاق الفلسطيني –الاسرائيلي بشأن التراث الاثري ومفهومه , وتسلط الضوء على النقاط الرئيسية والمهمة في هذا الاتفاق كما تقدم بعض التوصيات .

What Matters? Considering the Future of Cultural Heritage in Palestine

Nazmi al-Jubeh — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:45:57 +0000

There is a long list of deficits and challenges facing the cultural heritage of Palestine, but this contribution focuses on the future rather than the past history of cultural heritage preservation. Palestinians and those who support the preservation of cultural heritage in this region can take steps now which will enable us to jointly envision and ensure a future for the cultural heritage of Palestine.

هناك قائمة طويلة من التحديات والمعيقات التي تواجه التراث الثقافي الفلسطيني , ولكن هذه المساهمة تركز على المستقبل بدلا من التاريخ الماضي من الحفاظ على التراث الثقافي . ان الفلسطينيين وأولئك الذين يؤيدون الحفاظ على التراث الثقافي في هذه المنطقة ,يمكنهم ان يتخذوا بعض الخطوات الان والتي سوف تمكننا من ايجاد تصور مشترك وضمان مستقبل للتراث الثقافي الفلسطيني .

Repatriating Palestinian Patrimony: An Overview of Palestinian Preparations for Negotiations on Archaeology

Gabriel Fahel — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:00:55 +0000

This paper aims to shed some light on an often guarded and confidential subject matter: archaeology as it relates to permanent status negotiations between Israel and Palestine. During the Oslo negotiations, much of the discussion focused on political parameters while little discussion and preparation was done at the technical level. Since Oslo, the Palestinian side has formed a technical unit known as the Negotiations Support Unit (NSU) to assist the Palestinian leadership. There are several files that are continuously being prepared and advanced for the negotiations, one of which is the Archaeology file.

تهدف هذه المقالة إلى إلقاء بعض الضوء على مواضيع رسمية تتصف بالسرية في كثير من الأحيان, وعلم الآثار من حيث صلته بالمفاوضات الدئمة بين اسرائيل وفلسطين. خلال مفاوضات أوسلو ، فإن الكثير من النقاشات ركزت على الثوابت السياسية في حين كان النقاش والتحضير على الصعيد التقني قليل جداً.
منذ أوسلو, شكل الجانب الفلسطيني وحدة تقنية تعرف باسم (وحدة دعم المفاوضات ) لمساعدة القيادات الفلسطينية , وهناك العديد من الملفات التي يتم اعدادها بشكل مستمر لتقديمها للمفاوضات ,ومن بينها ملف الاثار

The Future of Palestinian Cultural Heritage

Lynn Dodd, Ran Boytner — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:14:23 +0000

The future of cultural heritage in the Middle East ought to concern all who are interested in human cultural heritage, whether that interest lies in archaeology, architecture and the built environment, and/or traditional cultural practices. The WAC Inter-Congress in Ramallah in August, 2009 provided a much-needed platform for the discussion of the present and future treatment of Palestinian cultural heritage. The location of the conference enabled participation by a much broader range of Palestinian experts and students than is usual in scholarly meetings. Concerns about travel, security, the political implications of attendance and perceptions about “overcoming structural violence,” which was the theme of this very successful meeting, caused some foreign scholars to stay away. The authors of this paper, who are the co-organizers of the joint Israeli Palestinian Archaeology Working Group (IPAWG), introduce the following papers by Taha, Fahel, al-Houdalieh, el-Jubeh, Sayej and Yahya. They also provide perspective on the context of the meeting, the future of cultural heritage in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, the database and draft agreement created by members of IPAWG, which includes the possibility of future artifact repatriation; and the conundrum of structural violence that imperils past, present and future alike.

مستقبل التراث الثقافي في منطقة الشرق الأوسط يجب ان يهم جميع من يهتمون بالتراث الثقافي الانساني,سواء كان هذا الاهتمام يكمن في علم الاثار أو العمارة أو البيئة المبنية , و/أو الممارسات الثقافية التقليدية. مؤتمر الأثريين العالمي في رام الله في أب/أغسطس عام 2009 ,قدم المنصة الرئيسية التي تشتد الحاجة اليها من اجل علاج حاضر ومستقبل التراث الثقافي الفلسطيني. وقد سمح مكان انعقاد المؤتمر بحضور مشاركة أوسع نطاقا بكثير من الخبراء والطلاب الفلسطينيين مما هو معتاد في اجتماعات العلماء والخبراء. . تسببت المخاوف بشأن السفر ، والأمن ، والآثار السياسية المترتبة على الحضور والتصورات حول "التغلب على العنف الهيكلي" ، والذي كان موضوع هذا الاجتماع الناجح للغاية ، جعل بعض العلماء والخبراء الأجانب يبقون بعيداً. واضعوا هذه الدراسة , وهم منظموا فريق العمل الاثري الفلسطيني الاسرائيلي , عرضوا الدراسات الخمس التالية. كما انهم قدموا منظورا في سياق الجلسة,مستقبل التراث الثقافي في الاراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة , قاعدة البيانات, ومسودة مشروع الاتفاق والتي تم انشاؤها من قبل اعضاء فريق العمل الاثري الفلسطيني الاسرائيلي والذي يتضمن امكانية اعادة القطع الأثرية في المستقبل وحل لغز العنف الهيكلي الذي يعرض الماضي والحاضر والمستقبل للخطر ,على حدٍ سواء

Contested Management of Archaeological sites in the Hebron District

Ahmed A Rjoob — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:32:05 +0000

Over more than a century, Palestinian cultural heritage has been managed by several different administrations. Each of these has had its own methods of management, protection, research, and distinct political purpose, making Palestinian cultural heritage one of the most intensively abused, excavated and subsequently disturbed worldwide. In accordance with the Oslo Accords (1993-1995), the Palestinian Authority took over responsibility for archaeology in Areas “A” and “B”, representing about 40% of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In spite of this inequity, it was the first time that the Palestinian people were given an opportunity to manage their own heritage.

This paper attempts to discuss these issues and their negative impact on archaeological sites in the Hebron district. Special attention will be given to the state of cultural heritage since the Oslo Accords, when Palestinian cultural heritage started being operated by two contested administrations: the Palestinian Department of Antiquities in areas “A and B”, and the Israeli Staff Officer for Archaeology in area “C”. Clandestine excavations, illicit trafficking and the state of conservation of Palestinian cultural heritage are also explored to demonstrate the protection, conservation and development dynamics of archaeological sites in this area and how this dually contested management tremendously affects safeguarding of the heritage in the Hebron area. Illegal Israeli excavations, so-called “salvage excavations”, and the devastating impact of the separation wall on archaeological sites and the cultural landscape are also briefly discussed.

تمت ادارة التراث الثقافي الفلسطيني من قبل ادارات متعددة منذ أكثر من قرن، وكان لكل واحدة منها طرقها الخاصة في التدبير والحماية والأهداف البحثية والسياسية، ما جعل المواقع الأثرية الفلسطينية واحدة من أكثر المواقع الأثرية تضررا في العالم، وأكثرها تعرضًا للحفريات الأثرية العلمية وغير العلمية. فوفقا لاتفاقيات السلام الفلسطينية- الاسرائيلية (1993 – 1995) تتولى السلطة الفلسطينية مسؤولياتها عن الآثار في مناطق "ألف" و"باء"، التي تمثل حوالي 40٪ من الأراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة. وبالرغم من هذا العائق، الا انها كانت المرة الأولى التي يتولى فيها الشعب الفلسطيني إدارة تراثه بنفسه.

تحاول هذه الورقة مناقشة هذه القضايا وتأثيرها السلبي على حفظ المواقع الأثرية في منطقة الخليل وحمايتها، وسيتم إيلاء اهتمام خاص لحالة ووضع تراثها الأثري بعد اتفاقيات اوسلو، وذلك بعدما أصبح التراث الثقافي في الاراضي الفلسطينية يدار من قبل إدارتين متناقضتين، هما: دائرة الآثار الفلسطينية في المناطق "ألف وباء" ، وضابط الآثار الإسرائيلي في منطقة "جيم". اضافة لذلك تتناول الورقة الحفريات غير الشرعية والاتجار غير المشروع في الآثار الفلسطينية، وكذلك كيفية الحفاظ على التراث الثقافي الفلسطيني، وذلك من خلال تسليط الضوء على سياسات الحماية والحفاظ وديناميات تطوير المواقع الأثرية في منطقة الخليل، ومحاولة تتبع تأثيرات الإدارة المزدوجة على تراثها الثقافي. علاوة على ذلك، تم ابراز تأثير الحفريات الإسرائيلية غير المشروعة- المعروفة بـ "الحفريات الإنقاذية"- على وضعية الآثار ومن ثم التطرق للتأثيرات المدمرة للجدار الفاصل على المواقع الأثرية والمشهد الثقافي في منطقة الخليل.

The Current State of Archaeology in Palestine

Hamdan Taha — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:08:34 +0000

The Palestinian Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage (DACH) has been in existence now for more than fifteen years since its re-establishment in 1994. The inauguration of this Department was a momentous event. It may be considered the revival of the Department of Antiquities of Palestine, which was established in 1920 under the British Mandate. The authority was then terminated due to the political events of 1948 when Israel was established, while Jordan assumed those responsibilities for the West Bank and Egypt for the Gaza strip. This report provides a historical background on the archaeology of Palestine, an overview of its vision, inception, objectives, development and activities during this formative period. It gives an account of the archaeological field work, current projects carried out in the Palestinian areas, including the joint excavations, restoration projects and the state of preservation of archaeological and cultural heritage sites. This is an updated version of the article (A Decade of Archaeology in Palestine) published in 2005.

تأسست دائرة الاثار والتراث الثقافي قبل خمس عشرة سنة، منذ تاريخ اعادة تأسيسها سنة 1994. وقد مثل انشاء هذه الادارة حدثا مهما، يمكن اعتباره اعادة بعث لدائرة الاثار الفلسطينية التي تأسست عام 1920 في عهد الانتداب البريطاني، والتي توقفت عن الوجود مع أحداث سنة 1948، حين اقيمت اسرائيل على الاراضي الفلسطينية واتبعت الضفة الغربية الى الاردن وغزة الى مصر. يقدم هذا العرض خلفية تاريخية حول اثار فلسطين، تشمل رؤيتها ومنطلقاتها وأهدافها وتطورها ونشاطاتها في فترة التكوين هذه. كما تقدم سجلا بالنشاط الاثري الميداني والمشاريع التي قامت بها في الاراضي الفلسطينية، بما في ذلك التنقيبات المشتركة ومشاريع الترميم وحالة الحفاظ على المواقع الاثرية. ان هذا التقرير هو تحديث لنسخة سابقة بعنوان (عقد من العمل الاثري في فلسطين)، نشر في العام 2005.

Palestinian Archaeology: Knowledge, Awareness and Cultural Heritage

Ghattas J Sayej — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:54:13 +0000

Cultural heritage in many parts of the world is seen as cultural treasure and as a non-renewable resource. When cultural heritage management is controlled by a national entity and well-planned, then historical buildings, archaeological sites, and artefacts are protected and valued. They become national resources that contribute to increasing historical knowledge, community pride and tourism. However, ideology and politics can undercut the importance of such cultural heritage, particularly if politics is used as a pretext to justify occupation and land confiscation. Archaeological remains in Palestine constitute an enormous resource for human knowledge that have been left in the ground by a wide range of ethnic, national and religious groups. This vast wealth has created a dilemma for archaeologists, who continue to struggle to create a successful means of managing and protecting the resources adequately. The situation has been exacerbated by political and religious motivations, most particularly since the establishment of the State of Israel.

This paper will present a brief history of archaeological research in Palestine, followed by an argument that emphasises the importance of archaeologists engaging local residents in order to build awareness of the material cultural heritage where they live. Archaeologists can join with local communities to create a sense of pride and curation, so that residents act as allies in the battle to protect cultural heritage. Examples from Norway will be presented in order to highlight the effectiveness and necessity of building awareness in local communities. This same approach could be a model for a similar alliance among Palestinian communities. Well-planned efforts can lead to greater protection of cultural heritage by involving local government authorities, archaeological and heritage professionals and residents of local communities. Awareness of the significance of cultural heritage must be cultivated and is a major factor in motivating local residents to protect cultural heritage. In the end, I will argue for a Palestinian archaeological entity that transcends ideological concerns over archaeological materials, and emphasises the protection of archaeological materials as universal heritage. I will also express the necessity of focusing on common goals and achievements rather than on competition over power and funding.

يعتبر الموروث الحضاري في معظم دول العالم ركيزة مهمة يستند عليها في رسم الأطر السياسية، والاجتماعية، والتاريخية، والاقتصادية. وعندما يكون هذا الموروث في جوهر الفلسفة الوطنية، ويتم التعامل معه ضمن تخطيط إداري منظم، فان الموروث الثقافي الثابت والمنقول سيحظى بالاهتمام على المستويين الرسمي والشعبي. ويساهم الموروث الأثري في زيادة الوعي الوطني لدى الشعوب، وفي دعم الاقتصاد المحلي، وذلك باعتباره أداة أساسية لتشجيع السياحة. وتعتبر فلسطين احد دول العالم المميزة، وذلك لاحتوائها على عدد كبير من المواقع والمعالم التاريخية والأثرية التي تعبر عن تنوع حضاري، وديني، واثني، وسياسي. وقد جذب هذا الموروث منذ العصور الوسطى عدد كبير من الرحالة، والمستكشفين، وعلماء الآثار للبحث والدراسة. وقد استغلت نتائج معظم الأعمال الأثرية الميدانية في إعادة بناء تاريخ فلسطين الحضاري بنظرة توراتية ساهمت في تكريس الاحتلال ومصادرة الأراضي من أصحابها الأصليين.

في هذه الورقة، سوف يتم عرض الموروث الثقافي الفلسطيني في إطاره الزماني والمكاني، واهم العقبات التي تواجهه والتي من المحتمل أن تؤدي إلى تشويهه بشكل كبير خلال مدة قصيرة نسبياً. ومن ثم يتم التركيز على موضوع الوعي بأهمية وقيمة التراث الثقافي، ودوره في حماية وإسناد الموروث بكل عناصره. وكحالة دراسية، سوف يتم استخدام بعض الأمثلة من النرويج، لإبراز مدى أهمية الوعي المحلي في حماية التراث الحضاري. ويتصف الإرث الحضاري في النرويج بأنه يخضع إلى تخطيط شامل تشترك فيه السلطات الحكومية والمجتمعات المحلية، ويتم الحفاظ عليه من الجهات الرسمية بتفاعل كبير من قبل كافة الفئات المجتمعية. وسوف تخلص هذه الورقة إلى خلق حالة من الوعي لدى الشعب الفلسطيني لتؤدي إلى حماية وصيانة هذا الموروث بعيدا عن التعصب الايدولوجي و الاختلافات الشخصية والمنافسة على الدعم المادي.

Destruction of the Cultural-Archaeological Landscape in the West Bank

Mazen Iwais, Shafeeq Shabaneh, Waleed Rimawi — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:20:57 +0000

The establishment of landscape as a discipline within the study of cultural-archaeological heritage in Palestine was consolidated when the Palestinian Institution for Cultural Landscape Study was established as non-governmental institution. This began with landscape surveys of the villages of Jabba’ in 2000 (Barghouth, 2007: 90), and ‘Ain ‘Arik in 2007 (Barghouth and Mahmoud Nasir 2008, 41-43) by Al-Mashhad, these surveys followed multi-disciplinary approaches to investigate the local level in the modernization process in Palestine, which has been operating from the late Ottoman period until the present time, with changes taking place on the macro and micro levels in the landscapes of traditional villages. This paper presents the results of a preliminary survey to address the destruction processes in the cultural-archaeological landscapes of three Palestinian villages in the West Bank: Shuqbah (Wadi el-Natuf), Sinjil and Al-Lubban Al-Sharqeya. These three villages were selected due to the great degree of cultural diversity within their surrounding landscapes, which contain ancient roads, land use, limekilns, springs, cisterns, caves, archaeological sites, and boundaries of the traditional settlements. The aim is to complete an inventory of the destruction of these cultural-archaeological landscapes on a micro scale, in order to be able to deal with the destruction factors on a macro scale. The framework for addressing the destruction of the cultural-archaeological landscape will focus on three issues: (1) the effect of socio-economical changes on the landscapes of these villages. (2) Environmental effects. (3) The effects of geopolitical changes on the landscape. Within this context we will focus on the Oslo Accords agreement, the political division of cultural-archaeological landscapes in West Bank, and the reason that these three villages are located in the so-called ‘C’ areas as Oslo Convention states.

إن القوام التأسيسي للمشهد الحضاري من جهة كونه نظاماً متآلفاً، يدرس التراث الحضاري- الأثري في فلسطين ، قد تبلور عندما تم تأسيس المؤسسة الفلسطينية لدراسة المشهد الحضاري كمؤسسة غير حكومية. بدأ هذا التأسيس مع المسح الأثري الذي تم في قرية جبع عام 2000 (برغوثي 2007). وفي عام 2007 أجري مسح أثري آخر للمشهد الحضاري ، في قرية عين عريك (سمير، داود ، جمال ، محمود 2008). هذه الورقة عبارة عن مسح تمهيدي وأولي لمعالجة عمليات التدمير للمشهد الحضاري – الأثري لثلاث قرى فلسطينية في الضفة الغربية ،هذا المسح التمهيدي والأولي لعمليات التدمير سيكون تتويجاً ممنهجاً ، نحو دراسة المشهد الحضاري- الأثري لهذه القرى. من خلال هذه الورقة سنحاول أن نسلط الضوء على سياسات التدمير للمشهد الحضاري –الأثري لقرى : شقبة (وادي الناطوف)، سنجل ، واللبن الشرقية. في الواقع إن اختيار هذه القرى الثلاث، يعود إلى تراكم المشهد الحضاري والثقافي وتنوعه ضمن حدود هذه القرى، والتي تحوي طرقاً قديمة، وأراضي مستخدمة، وأفراناً قديمة لحرق الجير، وعيون ماء، وأحواضاً وصهاريج، وكهوفاً، ومواقع أثرية، وحدود المستقرات والقرى التقليدية. إن الهدف الرئيسي من العمل يكمن في محاولة مسح جردي لعملية تدمير المشهد الحضاري – الأثري، عن طريق مسح عوامل التدمير في النطاق الضيق للمعالم والمواقع، بغية التعامل مع عوامل التدمير المؤثرة في نطاق المسح الحضاري ككل. إن البنية الأساسية والإطار الهيكلي لمعالجة عملية تدمير المشهد الحضاري سترتكز على ثلاث قضايا رئيسية: 1- أثر التغييرات الاجتماعية الاقتصادية على المشهد الحضاري لهذه القرى . 2- الأثر البيئي. 3- أثر التغييرات الجيوسياسية على المشهد الحضاري . وفي هذا الإطار سيتم التركيز على اتفاقية أوسلو، وعلى التقسيم السياسي للمشهد الحضاري في الضفة الغربية. والسبب في ذلك ناجم عن كون هذه القرى الثلاث تقع في ما يسمى المنطقة (c) حسب اتفاقية أوسلو الدولية.

Archaeological Heritage and Related Institutions in the Palestinian National Territories 16 Years After Signing the Oslo Accords

Salah H Al-Houdalieh — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 23:51:30 +0000

Since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, Palestinians have made every effort to preserve, conserve and promote Palestine’s cultural heritage resources in their national territories. In order to carry out this national responsibility they have established the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; several programs at local universities in the fields of archaeology, conservation and restoration, and planning; and a number of non-governmental organizations, as well as other institutions and professional committees. A large number of projects and activities connected with protection and promotion of the cultural heritage have been conducted throughout the Palestinian National Territories (PNT), mainly by local teams funded by foreign grants. However, despite the strenuous efforts that have been made, unless full coordination is established between the relevant parties concerned with heritage resources, both the immediate and future prospects for protecting Palestine’s archaeological and historical heritage remain in real jeopardy. Indeed, this heritage is facing serious, heightened challenges which will surely damage or destroy most of it in the near future, unless the Palestinian Authority, together with other private and national institutions, forcefully addresses this widespread phenomenon. This article draws mainly on interviews with Palestinian archaeologists and members of the Palestinian public, as well as with stakeholders in the relevant NGOs. The main purpose of this analysis is to diagnose the current status of Palestine’s cultural heritage, particularly its archaeological and historical heritage, in order that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) may develop policies to ensure their protection and preservation. From a political perspective, I must say clearly that the exclusion of the Gaza Strip from the study does not in any way presume the legitimacy of the political partition that happened in the summer of 2007. This exclusion was due to the difficulty of travelling between the West Band and the Gaza Strip, and to the scarcity of information available about the current reality of the archaeological heritage in Gaza Strip.

بذل الفلسطينيون جهوداً كبيرة منذ توقيع اتفاقية اوسلو الاولى عام 1993، وذلك للحفاظ على مصادر التراث الثقافي في مناطق السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية. وللقيام بمسؤولياتهم الوطنية فقد أسسوا وزارة السياحة والآثار، والعديد من برامج الآثار في الجامعات المحلية، وصيانة وترميم عدد كبير من المواقع والمعالم التاريخية والآثرية، واعادة تأهيل بعض المواقع الأثرية التي تتمتع بقيم جمالية، وفنية وتاريخية، بالإضافة الى تأسيس عدد كبير من المؤسسات غير الحكومية التي تعنى بالتراث الثقافي. لقد تمكنت الفرق الفلسطينية المختصة من تنفيذ مئات المشاريع والنشاطات ذات العلاقة بحماية وترميم المميز من مصادر التراث الثقافي المحلي بتمويل خارجي. وبالرغم من الجهود المضنية المبذولة في نفس الاتجاه لحماية الموروث الثقافي، الا ان واقع هذا الموروث ما زال مشوه. وحقيقة الامر، ان قطاع التراث الثقافي الفلسطيني ما زال يتعرض لعوامل تدمير كثيرة، والتي سوف تؤدي في المنظور القريب الى طمس غالبيته ما لم يتم تدارك الامور على المستويين: الحكومي والجماهيري. اعتمدت هذه الدراسة على المقابلات الشخصية التي اجراها الباحث مع عدد من الآثاريين المحليين، ومع عينة عشوائية غير مختصة في حقل الآثارمن ابناء المجتمع الفلسطيني، ومع رؤساء المؤسسات غير الحكومية والتي تعمل في مجال التراث الثقافي، بالإضافة الى انها اعتمدت على ما توفر من ابحاث ودراسات منشورة. ويكمن الهدف الاساس من هذا البحث في تشخيص الواقع الحالي للتراث الثقافي الفلسطيني من اجل تطوير سياسة شاملة ترمي الى الحفاظ على الموروث الحضاري في مناطق السيادة السياسية الفلسطينية.

The Next Generation: Students Discuss Archaeology in the 21st Century

Ashley Sands, Kristin Butler — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:13:01 +0000

The Next Generation Project is a multi-agent, multi-directional cultural diplomacy effort. The need for communication among emerging archaeologists has never been greater. Increasingly, archaeological sites are impacted by military activity, destroyed through the development of dams and building projects, and torn apart through looting. The Next Generation Project works to develop communication via social networking sites online and through in-person meetings at international conferences. As new archaeologists, we want to raise issues, create relationships and mobilize to expand our collective ability to improve our field; we will accomplish these goals through engagement of an increasingly diverse group that includes the next generation of practitioners. Our efforts attempt to create networks and relationships that would not exist otherwise between new archaeologists. This project seeks to co-opt institutions (including WAC), media, communication technology and networking tools to support and extend these networking opportunities beyond the Internet, towards the goal of future collaboration. Through the process of dialogue, we discover ways to affect the future development of our field - its practices, ethics, and policy matters. The Next Generation Project began in early 2009. The first step was developing a Facebook group and discussion board to enable digital networking and dialogue. The first in-person meeting of the project was at the World Archaeological Congress Inter-Congress in Ramallah (August 2009). This paper introduces the Next Generation and summarizes the first six months of its activity as presented to the Ramallah Inter-Congress in August 2009.

ان مشروع الجيل التالي , هو مشروع متعدد العمالات ,بالاضافة الى كونه جهد دبلوماسي ثقافي متعدد الاتجاهات. حيث ان ضرورة التواصل بين علماء الاثار الناشئين لم تكن قط اكبر منها في هذا الوقت.فالمواقع الاثرية ,وعلى نحو متزايد , تتأثرا سلبا بالنشاط العسكري , وببناء السدود والمشاريع الاخرى , وتمزق بسبب عمليات السلب والنهب فيها . ان مشروع الجيل التالي يعمل من اجل تطوير الاتصال عن طريق مواقع الشبكات الاجتماعية المنتشرة على الانترنت, ومن خلال تنظيم اللقاءات والاجتماعات والمؤتمرات الدولية . وكأثريين جدد, نحن نريد ان نثير قضايا مختلفة ,ونخلق علاقات ونتواصل من اجل توسيع قدرتنا الجماعية لتطوير وتحسين وحماية هذا المجال , وسوف نحقق هذه الاهداف عن طريق الانخراط في جماعة تزداد تنوعا وتشمل الجيل القادم من الاثرين . ان جهودنا هي عبارة عن محاولة لخلق الشبكات والعلاقات التي لم تكن لتوجد بطرق اخرى بين الاثريين الجدد , ان هذه الدورة تسعى لاستمالة ومشاركة المؤسسات (بما فيها “ “ ) , وسائل الاعلام , تكنولوجيا الاتصالات , والشبكات من اجل خدمة مصلحتنا ودعم قيمنا. ومن خلال عمليات الحوار , اكتشفنا عدة عوامل تؤثر على التطوير المستقبلي لمجالنا وهي: الممارسة ,الاخلاق , ومسائل السياسة العامة. لقد ابتدأ مشروع الجيل التالي من الاثرين في بدايات العام 2009 , وقد كانت اول خطوة هي انشاء مجموعة على موقع الفيس بوك بالاضافة الى لوحة نقاش من اجل تبادل الاراء والحوار. ولقد كان اول لقاء للاثريين في هذا المشروع هو المؤتمر العالمي للاثريين الذي تم في رام الله –فلسطين في ( اب/ اغسطس 2009) . ان هذه المقالة تعرفكم بمشروع الجيل القادم , وتلخص الاشهر الستة الأولى من نشاطاتها كما قدمت الى مؤتمر رام الله في اغسطس 2009.

The Citadel of Jerusalem: A Case Study in the Cultural Appropriation of Archaeology in Palestine

Mahmoud Hawari — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:49:49 +0000

The cultural appropriation of archaeology is a form of structural violence. The term ‘cultural appropriation’ is generally applied when the subject culture is a minority culture or somehow subordinate in social, political, economic, or military status to the appropriating culture; where a more powerful culture raids a less powerful neighbouring one; or when there are other issues involved such as a history of ethnic or racial conflict between the two groups. It can include the appropriation of various forms of cultural heritage, such as dress, food, music, art, icons, rituals, language, religion, holy places, historical and archaeological sites. These elements, once removed from their indigenous cultural contexts, may take on meanings that are significantly divergent from, or merely less nuanced than, those they originally held.

In the process of the Zionist colonisation of Palestine and the gradual dispossession of Palestinian land, Israeli archaeology has been actively employed in divesting Palestinians of their history and appropriating their cultural heritage. In this context Biblical archaeology has played a significant role. Its goal has been to establish a link between the modern State of Israel and the ‘Israelite’ period, and as a result the pluralistic nature of Palestine’s past has virtually vanished from public awareness, and with it the Arab past, traditions and cultural heritage. Many archaeological, historical and holy sites in Palestine / Israel that are an integral part of Palestinian cultural heritage have been appropriated as ‘biblical’ or ‘Jewish’. In the meantime, Israel continues to intensify its Judization of archaeological sites in the West Bank and Jerusalem. This paper presents a case study of the cultural appropriation of archaeology in Palestine.

إن إنتحال التراث الثقافي للآثار هو شكل من أشكال العنف البنيوي. ويستخدم اصطلاح “إنتحال التراث الثقافي” عموماً عندما تكون الثقافة الخاضعة ثقافة الأقلية، أو أنها تابعة إلى حد ما للثقافة المُنتحِلة من حيث وضعها الإجتماعي، السياسي، الإقتصادي أو العسكري؛ حيثما تقوم ثقافة أقوى بغزو ثقافة أضعف بجوارها؛ أو حينما تتفاعل قضايا أخرى، كالصراع الإثني أو العرقي بين مجموعتين. ولعلها تتضمّن إنتحالاً لشتى أشكال التراث الثقافي كاللباس والطعام والموسيقى والفنون والمعبودات والطقوس واللغة والدين والأماكن المقدسة والمواقع التاريخية والأثرية. وحينما تُنتزع هذه العناصر من سياقاتها الثقافية الأصلية فإنها تتخذ معانٍ متباعدة كلياً، أو أنها تحمل فوارق دقيقة عما كانت عليه في الأصل.

في خضمّ عملية الإستيطان الصهيوني لفلسطين وما تضمّنته من أعمال السلب والإقتلاع التدريجي للشعب الفلسطيني من أرضه، جرى إستخدام علم الآثار الإسرائيلي بصورة فعّالة لإقصاء الفلسطينيين عن تاريخهم وانتخال تراثهم الثقافي. في هذا السياق، لعب علم الآثار التوراتي دوراً هاماً، وكان هدفه إيجاد علاقة بين دولة إسرائيل الحديثة والعصر “الإسرائيلي” القديم. ونتج عن ذلك أن الطبيعة التعددية لتاريخ فلسطين قد اختفت فعلياً من الوعي العام، واختفى معها أيضاً التاريخ والتراث الثقافي العربي القديم. كما وجرى إنتحال العديد من المواقع الأثرية والتاريخية والأماكن المقدّسة في فلسطين، التي تشكّل جزءاً لا يتجزء من التراث الثقافي الفلسطيني، بصفتها “توراتية” أو “يهودية”. في هذه الأثناء، تواصل إسرائيل مساعيها لتهويد المواقع الأثرية في الضفة الغربية والقدس. وتعرض هذه الورقة دراسة خاصة عن إنتحال التراث الثقافي للآثار في فلسطين، وتتمحور حول قلعة القدس

Looting Matters for Classical Antiquities: Contemporary Issues in Archaeological Ethics

David W. J. Gill — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:29:37 +0000

Forty years have passed since the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. In spite of this there have been major scandals relating to the acquisition of recently-surfaced antiquities by public museums and private individuals. The Italian government has obtained the return of over 100 antiquities from North American collections and these have been displayed in a series of high profile exhibitions. Greece and Egypt have made successful claims on other material. Some dealers appear to be willing to handle material that surfaced along similar routes in spite of this increased awareness of the problem of looting, North American museums have now adjusted their acquisition policies to align them with the 1970 Convention.

Response: the Values of Archaeology

Gabriel Moshenska, Paul Burtenshaw — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:51:51 +0000

Militant Atheist Objects: Anti-Religion Museums in the Soviet Union

Crispin Paine — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:58:44 +0000

The 1920s and early '30s saw a complete reorganisation of museums in the Soviet Union. They had a new purpose: to help in the broad education of the masses, and in particular the promotion of a Marxist understanding of history, and support for the Five Year Plan. To effect this new mission museums adopted a completely new approach, involving quite new display techniques and an elaborate programme of outreach. This new museology made possible anti-religious museums, a Soviet invention that for the first time assembled religious artefacts and used them to attack both the institutions of religion and religion itself.

These were real museums, in that they collected and displayed original objects to make their points. Indeed, they adopted a deliberate policy of sacrilege, using icons and the relics of saints to expose the tricks and crimes of the clergy, and to show how religion simply reflects the underlying economic and social conditions and serves the purposes of the ruling class.

This preliminary study, based on English and French sources, will hopefully point the way to much more research in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

A Reply to "What is Public Archaeology?"

Reuben Grima — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:03:15 +0000

The Economics of Public Archaeology: A Reply to “What is Public Archaeology?”

Joe Flatman — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:14:33 +0000

A Reply to "What is Public Archaeology?"

Paul Burtenshaw — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:56:55 +0000

What is Public Archaeology?

Gabriel Moshenska — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:54:39 +0000

In the ten years since Schadla-Hall’s (1999) outline of the subject, public archaeology has become firmly established as the focus of books, university courses, academic research and a dedicated journal. Nevertheless there is still a degree of uncertainty about the precise definition and delineation of public archaeology. In this short paper I outline my personal perspective of public archaeology as a practice of disciplinary critique focusing on the production and consumption of what I have termed archaeological ‘commodities’.

Locality, Hegemony and WAC: A Reply to Iacono

Alejandro F. Haber — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:51:29 +0000

A Reply to Haber’s "Localizing the Global"

Francesco Iacono — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:47:57 +0000

Localizing the Global: A Framework for Discussing WAC’s Problems and Promise

Alejandro F. Haber — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:45:14 +0000

Whatever is said in general terms about ‘cultural heritage’, ‘social justice’ and ‘ethics’ is framed by the tension between global and local under the present phase of capitalism. Drawing from descriptions of this phase, given by different authors under the labels of post-fordism, post-coloniality, and empire, I discuss the present different roles of cultural heritage, social justice and global ethics. Finally, I will comment on the potential roles (‘problem’ and ‘promise’) for the World Archaeological Congress in the present historical context.

Excavating Nazi Extermination Centres

Isaac Gilead, Yoram Haimi, Wojciech Mazurek — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:39:49 +0000

The paper deals with the archaeology of the Nazi extermination centres at Chełmno, Treblinka, Sobibór and Bełżec. Aspects of sub-field identity are discussed first. The archaeology of extermination centres is the subject matter of a number of sub-disciplines, ranging from Forensic Archaeology, through Combat and Industrial Archaeology, to Public and Historical Archaeology. We regard the extermination process as a past reality, a series of historically established events which do not need to be proven by archaeological excavations. Archaeology, in our case, has the role of supplementing and filling gaps, especially in terms of sites’ layout, structures and artifacts. We describe the research of the extermination centres since the mid 1980s, discuss facets of site destruction processes, and emphasize the role of looting and other activities in determining the past and future layout and contents of the sites. These points are illustrated by some results of the archaeological research we carried out at Sobibór in 2007 and 2008. We indicate that the exact locations of important features of the extermination centres, for example gas chambers, are still unclear. Thus, archaeology is indispensable in reconstructing and preserving the physical layout of the extermination centres, as well as in studying and interpreting the artifacts embedded in their sediments.