Abstract
As three of the articles in this collection demonstrate, one central axis of the Zionist archaeological project is the absolute necessity of diminishing, and ultimately erasing, the importance and existence of aspects of “the archaeological record” that pertain to non-Jewish presences in Palestine, particularly and especially Islamic civilizations and the long-term presence of an indigenous non-Jewish Palestinian population. In this introduction, I focus, however, upon Zionist archaeology’s rearticulation of Jewish identity in nationalist form, an operation that has entailed the elaboration of a consistently simplified, unidimensional, or narrowly channeled interpretive version of Jewish history and Jewish identity in Palestine over time. Through several pointed queries, I suggest alternative interpretations of one element of the Zionist archaeological narrative that in turn could lead to other ways of thinking about the long-term presence of Jewish people in Palestine.
Résumé
Comme le démontrent trois des articles de cette collection, l’un des axes principaux du projet archéologique sioniste réside dans l’absolue nécessité de réduire, et finalement d’effacer, l’importance et l’existence des aspects de « l’empreinte archéologique » qui ont trait aux présences non-juives en Palestine. Sont tout particulièrement et spécialement concernées les civilisations islamiques et la présence à long terme de populations indigènes palestiniennes non-juives. Dans cette introduction, je mets cependant l’accent sur la ré-articulation de l’identité juive par l’archéologie sioniste autour d’une forme nationaliste ; une opération qui a exigé l’élaboration au fil du temps d’une version issue d’une interprétation systématiquement simplifiée, unidimensionnelle ou très orientée de l’histoire juive et de l’identité juive en Palestine. Au travers de plusieurs questions très critiques, je suggère des interprétations alternatives à un élément du récit archéologique sioniste, qui pourraient conduire à d’autres façons de penser la présence à long terme des Juifs en Palestine.
Resumen
Como demuestran tres de los artículos en esta recopilación, un eje central del proyecto arqueológico sionista es la absoluta necesidad de disminuir, y en última instancia borrar, la importancia y existencia de aspectos del "registro arqueológico" que pertenecen a presencias no judías en Palestina, en particular y especialmente civilizaciones islámicas y la presencia a largo plazo de poblaciones indígenas palestinas no judías. En esta introducción, me centro, sin embargo, en la rearticulación por parte de la arqueología sionista de la identidad judía en forma nacionalista, una operación que ha conllevado la elaboración de una versión interpretativa, constantemente simplificada, unidimensional o canalizada con estrechez, de la historia judía y de la identidad judía en Palestina a lo largo del tiempo. Mediante varias preguntas intencionadas, sugiero interpretaciones alternativas de un elemento de la narrativa arqueológica sionista que a su vez podría llevar a otras formas de pensar sobre la presencia a largo plazo de los judíos en Palestina.
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Field, L. Imagining Palestinian Archaeologies: A Sampler. Arch 9, 281–294 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11759-013-9237-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11759-013-9237-0