Towards an Inclusive Archaeology in Jerusalem: The Case of Silwan/The City of David

Abstract

The village of Silwan, in East Jerusalem, contains the remains of most ancient Jerusalem, often termed “The City of David”. In recent years the excavation and presentation of the archaeology of Silwan has been placed in the hands of a Jewish settler non-governmental organization. Their incorporation of this site into the Jewish-Israeli narrative is multifaceted — mixing religious nationalism with theme-park tourism. As a result, conflict with local Palestinians occurs at the very basic level of existence, where the past is used to disenfranchise and displace people in the present. The volatile mix of history, religion and politics in the City of David/Silwan threatens any future reconciliation in Jerusalem, which must be based on the empowerment of local people and the adoption of a proactive inclusive archaeological stance in which the many voices of the past are heard.     

深埋在老城墙的岁月

天气渐冷的时候，离我家不远的北门坡口突然堆积了些建筑材料，高大的广告牌上这样解释：这里将在2008年7月前，矗立起一座城门楼，也就是说，将复原西宁城600年前的北门城楼。     

Writing on Stone; Writing on Paper: Myth,History and Memory in NW Amazonia

This paper deals with the relation between different kinds of indigenous speech and music and various iconographic forms such as petroglyphs, house painting, basketry designs and also features of landscape that are understood in graphic terms. It examines how Northwest Amazonian myth-history is structured and memorized, how it can appear in both verbal and non-verbal forms, and how contemporary books, maps and diagrams produced by indigenous organizations as part of programmes of research and education show continuity with these traditional forms. Rather than making firm distinctions between peoples with and without writing, I argue that it is more profitable to focus on how various mnemonic systems—“writing”—work in tandem with different narrative forms—“myth”. When “writing” and “myth” are understood in indigenous terms, contemporary written documents appear in a new light.     

姚马村村史碑记

姚马村西去威远镇三公里。青山环抱,绿水绕廓;谷地川阔滩平,宜耕宜牧;且通衢四达,利商利贾。自有先民耕牧于此,迄有千余年历史。村中姚、马、陈三姓,皆为持德守正之族,习称“姚马三庄”。村中土族系吐谷浑后裔,遗风犹存。村中汉族多系唐沙陀李氏之后,子孙已出多门。土汉两族世代田亩联袂,