Archaeology in the shadow of the conflict
7 December 2011, CREA Amsterdam. 8 December 2011, Humanity House The Hague.
Film and discussion with the archaeologist Yonathan Mizrachi.Archaeology, history and politics on the Mount of Ancient Jerusalemin Silwan (City of David). The city of Jerusalem once was a small village in a place known as the City of David, where today the Palestinian village of Silwan sits. Buried under the village lands, 5000 years of history bind the stories of ancient nations and rulers with the present life of the local residents. Dozens of excavated archaeological findings tell the complex multi-cultural saga of Jerusalem.
Ancient Jerusalem is a unique archaeological site of global importance for three main reasons: it is identified with the beginning of habitation in Jerusalem and it was the capital of ancient Israelite kingdoms, today a Palestinian village is located on its site and it is close to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif – one of the politically and religiously most sensitive places in the Middle East. All of these characteristics present great challenges both from an archaeological perspective and in terms of the social and political implications of the excavation work. In recent years, archaeology has been playing an increasingly crucial role in the political struggle in East Jerusalem in general and at the site of ancient Jerusalem/the village of Silwan in particular.
The archaeologist Yonathan Mizrachi, Director of the Israeli organization Emek Shaveh, will discuss the role of archaeology in the Israeli–Palestine political conflict and in the discourse on the future of Jerusalem. He will examine the relationship between archaeological research and the various interest groups active in the village and at the site. He will also offer a different model for archaeology as a tool to promote tolerance and respect for other cultures, past and present and for a better future for both the local residents and the whole region.
This meeting is organized in cooperation with CREA and Democratie en Media.