Jerusalem’s Time Tunnels

Horizontal excavations throughout the Old City of Jerusalem and Silwan are producing important archaeological discoveries, but opponents charge that they are undermining Palestinian foundations, in more ways than one…

Ha’aretz has the full article here.

Archaeology in the Shadow of the Conflict

The Mound of Ancient Jerusalem (City of David) in Silwan.

It’s by Emek Shaveh:

The subject of this booklet is archaeology in the heart of Jerusalem, one of the most complex cities in the world. We will focus primarily on the mound of ancient Jerusalem, also known as the City of David, located on a ridge south of the Temple Mount, presently part of Palestinian Silwan, and will examine the relationship between archaeological research and the various interest groups active in the village and the site.

Ancient Jerusalem is a unique archaeological site of global importance for three main reasons: It is identified with the beginning of habitation in Jerusalem and was the capital of ancient Israelite kingdoms; it is located in a Palestinian village; and it is close to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif – one of the most politically and religiously sensitive places in the Middle East. All of these characteristics present great challenges to any research undertaken in the area, both from an archaeological perspective and in terms of the social and political implications of the work. In recent years, archaeology has been playing an increasingly crucial role in the political struggle in East Jerusalem in general and the site of ancient Jerusalem/the village of Silwan in particular.

In our work we have identified a number of important areas of concern arising from the relationship between archaeological research and the various groups active in and around site…

Read on here.

The booklet can be:

• Read online here.
• Downloaded (pdf.) here.
• Or ordered here.