What is it about?
The "museum of tolerance" is built in Jerusalem in a former Muslim cemetery (Mamilla), causing damage to many graves without proper documentation. At the same time, 'our' remains are carefully excavated and preserved. Talking about "respect to the dead", the responsible rich entrepreneurs and authorities were busy doing "bone-considerations". They used part of the cemetery, which could have been left in peace, for reburial of the bones. The reburial was done in secret and the descendant community was not allowed access or participation, or even modest commemoration at the site.
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Why is it important?
We analyze the procedures at the High Court of Justice and inside the Israel Antiquities Authority in regard to archaeological and ethical aspects. This is based on the many documents, which that are mostly unavailable to readers (unpublished, in Hebrew, difficult to interpret). Jerusalem is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and archaeology in Jerusalem is used to bolster and present one-sided narratives. Analysis and criticism of this Archaeology are therefore vital.
Perspectives
It took us five years to write this paper and bring it to publication. We went through a half-dozen different versions and many more drafts. We asked several colleague to read and comment, and received more comments from Journal readers. Some comments drove us mad - but the paper got improved. This is the only reason why we talk in the paper about the "complementary notice"; while the present notice is a complimentary notice to all those who took part.
R Kletter
Helsinki University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Bone Considerations: Archaeology, Heritage, and Ethics at Mamilla, Jerusalem, International Journal of Cultural Property, August 2017, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0940739117000157.
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