220077 The history of archaeology in Israel/Palestine: exploring materiality in colonialism and nationalism. (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)

In this seminar, we will explore the history of archaeology in the region of Israel and Palestine. Our main question will be: what roles did material remains play in constructing religious and nationalist narratives? The archaeology of the region has drawn the attention of Western theologians, military officials, and politicians, among many others, since the 19th century. From the establishment of the state of Israel onwards, archaeology has been utilized for nationalist purposes. Throughout the seminar, we will follow the history of archaeology in the region from the colonial period to the present day. We will focus on the role of specific archaeological finds in the construction of the respective narratives. We will discuss both the discourse within and outside academia while paying attention to different implicit and explicit theoretical perspectives. A central reading is "Archaeology, Nation, and Race: Confronting the Past, Decolonizing the Future in Greece and Israel" by Raphael Greenberg and Yanis Hamilakis; Greenberg will be a guest lecturer in our seminar.