Palestinian Archaeology: Knowledge, Awareness and Cultural Heritage

Abstract

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.

The Significant of Food Heritage Endorsement in Building Food Identity

“…The need to create public awareness and knowledge regarding the existence of national food heritage is imperative as it is recognised as one of the nation's identities (Aziz, Mat, & Halim, 2008;Bessiere, 1998;Du Cros, 2009;Han, 2001;Sayej, 2010). An example can be seen in France when the government decided to publish a list of the culinary heritage in the inventory of traditional French treasures funded by the National Council for Culinary Art.…”

Archaeology and Contemporary Warfare

“…By highlighting the purportedly direct connections between the Mesopotamian past and "us," news media paved the way for claims that "we" need to rescue the treasures of past civilizations for the sake of our grandchildren, if need be through military intervention. These metaphorical sleights-of-hand excluded present-day populations in the region from any claims to be inheritors of these pasts or, alternatively, emphasized their endangerment by despotic regimes (Pollock & Lutz 1994, Seymour 2004, Pollock 2005. Silliman (2008) has examined the metaphor of "Indian country" as used in news reporting, blogs, and soldiers' accounts of recent wartime contexts in western Asia.…”

“…Attempts may be made to erase negative heritage, as the Taliban endeavored to do by blowing up the Bamiyan Buddhas (Flood 2002). Looting may be motivated by a wish to destroy or remove things associated with a hated government or occupation (Sayej 2010, Varisco 2015.…”

Can archaeologists intervene in public debate on urgent questions of a social, cultural or political nature? A reflection on the Israeli–Palestinian Archaeology Working Group (IPAWG)

“…To date, there are approximately 6,000 known archaeological sites in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (Greenberg and Keinan 2009, 3–5). Numerous archaeological investigations have been conducted from 1967 until today, all in violation of the fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the Hague Convention of 1954 and under the pretext of salvage excavations (Sayej 2010, 61).…”

“…During my involvement in this organization, I witnessed the lack of cultural awareness among Palestinians, particularly when it comes to sensitive periods such as the Iron Age – where the biblical stories flourished. There are various reasons behind the lack of knowledge and I have discussed it elsewhere (see Sayej 2010).…”