We all know that archeology is not a priority in a war. Nobody is considering what a new trench might destroy before they start digging or what might be destroyed before the bombs are dropped. The true scale of it will not be grasped before some years after the fighting has ended. But the solution is not silence.
Absolutely, the solution is not silence and hopefully it's clear that my priority is not and never has been whether a new trench is destroyed. Lives, homes, infrastructure, archives and yes, then... museums etc. Cheers.
Really interesting, thanks. Although a non-archeologist, I remember the global response to the infamous destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan some years ago by the Taliban - many voices in the media suggested a concern for such acts of vandalism was disproportionate in the face of profound human suffering. This, however, ignores (and indeed denies) both the material and the intangible culture of entire communities for whom such destruction attacks and undermines their sense of humanity and dignity every bit as much as other more direct consequences of war.
The Israeli authorities have long weaponized archeology. There's religious concerns with disturbing Jewish to burial sites (but not other burial sites), and basically anywhere you look you will find something of archeological interest, so to deny Palestinians access to certain areas one need only find something and then the area can be declared an archeological site and until Jewish burials are ruled out it's basically confiscated land.
Thank you
We all know that archeology is not a priority in a war.
Nobody is considering what a new trench might destroy before they start digging or what might be destroyed before the bombs are dropped.
The true scale of it will not be grasped before some years after the fighting has ended.
But the solution is not silence.
Absolutely, the solution is not silence and hopefully it's clear that my priority is not and never has been whether a new trench is destroyed. Lives, homes, infrastructure, archives and yes, then... museums etc.
Cheers.
Thanks again for your comment!
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Really interesting, thanks. Although a non-archeologist, I remember the global response to the infamous destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan some years ago by the Taliban - many voices in the media suggested a concern for such acts of vandalism was disproportionate in the face of profound human suffering. This, however, ignores (and indeed denies) both the material and the intangible culture of entire communities for whom such destruction attacks and undermines their sense of humanity and dignity every bit as much as other more direct consequences of war.
The Israeli authorities have long weaponized archeology. There's religious concerns with disturbing Jewish to burial sites (but not other burial sites), and basically anywhere you look you will find something of archeological interest, so to deny Palestinians access to certain areas one need only find something and then the area can be declared an archeological site and until Jewish burials are ruled out it's basically confiscated land.