Applied cross-cultural archaeology must be recognized as an essential step in the development of a reflexive, multi-vocal interpretation of the past. Projects like Ian Hodder's excavations at Catalhoyuk that actually address these issues, however, are still considered highly innovative, which is a fair indication as to how common they are. Instituting a dialogue about the past between archaeologists from two nations at war with each other would appear to be the ultimate experiment in multi-vocal archaeological practice. Reconciliation of our pasts inevitably becomes a further objective, but this requires a leap of faith and imagination premised on some degree of belief in the possible good faith of the other side - a quality rarely felt in the middle of a conflict. The common wisdom on how Israelis and Palestinians can deal with their intertwined and largely violent histories suggests that only through adopting a common narrative can understanding be achieved. The project that stimulated the following article, however, is based upon a different premise - that, to move toward a reflexive reconciliation, it is necessary to acknowledge the imperfections of our own narratives without fully rejecting them.

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The following article addresses the question of how desired pasts function in cultural diplomatic relations, why they constitute a largely unacknowledged barrier in achieving cultural understanding and why they persist in both scholarly literature and in the popular imagination. Four desired pasts are considered in this context as represented by the institutions that sustain them. The Israeli desired past is represented primarily by the Israeli Government and, secondarily, by Jewish organizations in the United States. The Conservative Christian desired past is supported primarily by Christian fundamentalist organizations and, in part, by the American Schools of Oriental Research and the Biblical Archaeology Society. The Palestinian desired past is promoted by Palestinian rights organizations but, to some extent, is supported by Palestinian archaeologists and intellectuals. Finally, the `diplomatic' desired past is represented by appointed officials of the US Department of State. The analysis includes an examination of relevant materials issued by the organizations supporting each of these desired pasts including speeches, interviews, publications and websites.

The international significance of Akko's heritage is best illustrated by the inscription of two UNESCO World Heritage sites in this town of just over 55,000 people. This article describes three projects that focus on the concept of a shared heritage at a World Heritage site in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, diverse town situated in a region that continues to experience ongoing religious and ethnic conflict. The most recent, and still ongoing, effort to balance archaeology and community interests is the Tel Akko Total Archaeology Project. While attempting to incorporate community building through archaeology and dialog, the Total Archaeology approach described here aims for a socially just and inclusive archaeology that will benefit local community stakeholders rather than disenfranchise them. It also emphasizes the need for local perspectives and experiences to play an active role in the interpretation of the past.