Heritage and Reconciliation

Abstract

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.

From dialogue to polylogue: Exploring the Israeli and Palestinian past in the present

“…In contrast to the political situation in Israel, where it has been merely detrimental to archaeology, the current lntifada has been disastrous for archaeology in Palestine (Scham and Yahya 2003;Yahya 2005). The constant and unceasing conflict there, coupled with the lack of authority over many aspects of civil life, including the protection and management of cultural heritage, have made archaeological sites in Gaza and the West Bank vulnerable to the depredations of resourceful and increasingly desperate local looters.…”

Archaeology and Contemporary Warfare

“…These reflections in turn raise a crucial point that is too often elided in traditional discussions of heritage: For whom is something heritage, and who has the power to define what is, or is not, worthy of the label? The definition of Mesopotamian heritage as global-"our shared past" (Wegener 2010, p. 29)-is a political statement of positionality, not a self-evident or universal statement of fact (Pollock & Lutz 1994, Pollock 2005, Bahrani 2008; see also Scham & Yahya 2003). Who is the "we" who supposedly cherishes the material remains of world cultures (Malin-Boyce & Trimble 2009)?…”

Heritage, identity and community engagement at Dunluce Castle, Northern Ireland

“…In regions where supposedly intractable conflict continues to persist, similar dialogues have taken place. Scham and Yahya (2003) discuss reflexive reconciliation in the Israel and Palestine conflict and argue that rather than seeking understanding through the promotion of common pasts, it may be preferable to acknowledge the shortcomings in particular narratives without rejecting them. In a similar vein, Basu (2008) argues that heritage plays an intrinsic role in peace building in Sierra Leone, but considers recent attempts to interpret that county's past from a paradigm of 'peaceful coexistence' fails to recognise the complexity of its history.…”