Archaeology Under Fire: Nationalism, Politics and Heritage in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East

The Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean are some of the most politically charged regions in which archaeology is implicated. Historically, they played a formative role in the birth of archaeology as a discipline. Archaeology Under Fire addresses archaeology's role in current political issues, including the ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, the division of Cyprus, and the continued destruction of Beirut. The contributors consider the positive role of the past as a means of reconciliation, whether it be in Turkey, Israel, and the Gulf. They advocate a responsible global archaeology, and an awareness of contemporary issues can only enhance this aim.

About the Author

Lynn Meskell is Research Fellow at New College, Oxford. She has undertaken fieldwork in Egypt, Cyprus and Greece. Her research interests include Egyptian and Mediterranean archaeologies, the application of feminist theory and sociopolitics to archaeology and she has written extensively on these subjects.