TAG2019-UCL

The focus of the session is on the legacy and practice of archaeology and heritage in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Archaeology and heritage in the region are often seen as heavily influenced by old practices and theories of early excavators. The session seeks to consider and challenge old or traditional narratives of archaeological research in the region. As well as how past research is used in current interpretations and the influence of past practices on knowledge production. The papers and discussion will consider the role of archaeology and heritage on past or current political situations like colonialism and current uprisings. This includes: the influence of past practices or narratives on archaeology and heritage today. The use of archives and archival research in modern archaeological or heritage practices. New or ‘non-traditional’ methods in heritage and archaeology for a better understanding of archaeological context or engagement with local people and the public; the influence of colonialism and decolonisation in the interpretation of archaeology in the region. This could include from a cultural perspective but also the influence of professional privilege and control of archaeological information. The portrayal of the past in museums and in the media (e.g. documentaries, social media, field-work websites...) to the public/non-subject specialists and how this affects both public perception and professional practices in archaeology and heritage.

Organisers: Ikram Ghabriel; UCL • Chloë Ward; UCL

13:30 | Session organisers | Introduction

13:35 | Brian Boyd, Columbia University | In the context of settler colonialism, what counts as archaeological/historical archive?

13:55 | Chloe Emmott, PhD candidate, University of Greenwich | The influence of the Classical World and Imperialism on Archaeology in Palestine

14:15 | Nourhan Nassar MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge | An Egyptian counter-narrative to nineteenth century British Egyptology: A reading in the Khitat Ali Mubarak

14:35 | Nora Shalaby, Humboldt University, Berlin | The Abydos Temple Paper Archive Project: Exploring Egyptian Histories from early Egyptology

14:55 | Session organisers | Discussion

15:10 | - | BREAK

15:40 | Bonnie Effros, University of Liverpool, Department of History | Reviving Carthage’s Martyrs: Archaeology, Memory, and Catholic Devotion in the French Protectorate of Tunisia

16:00 | Kelley Tackett, Brown University, Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World | Half as old as time: archaeology and the constructed past in Petra Archaeological Park

16:20 | Eman Shokry Hesham, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg | “Ancient Thebes” and Modern Luxor: the history of the management of a World Heritage Site

16:40 | Session organisers | Discussion

17:00 | - | END