Tag: political use of history

Building Community among the Ruins

On By historicalhorizonsIn Frans van LiereLeave a comment

by Frans van Liere. In my last entry for Historical Horizons, I wrote about how archaeology can be a tool for colonialism. For the Palestinian inhabitants of the village of Silwan, the Israeli archaeological park of the “City of David,” situated right in their West Bank village, bears a clear message: you don’t belong here; …

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Hezekiah’s Tunnel and the City of David

On By historicalhorizonsIn Frans van Liere2 Comments

by Frans van Liere. More than any history book, archaeology can create a powerful sense of the past. At the same time, just like history, archaeology can be used and abused for political purposes. It can create a sense of national or ethnic identity, or exclude others from that identity. This past summer, when my …

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