| CODE | NES2016 | ||||||
| TITLE | Archaeology and Nationalism in the Middle East | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The interpretation of the past is always mediated through the present, and thus, it is neither objective nor innocent. The past is also a valuable resource and tool for political and ideological ends. This study-unit explores how nation states, autocratic regimes, institutions, and peoples in the Middle East have appropriated and (mis)used archaeological heritage to push nationalistic agendas. Lectures will look at a number of different case studies, which will highlight the intricate interplay between the past and the present, particularly how ideology fuels reconstructions of disputed histories and how archaeology serves to legitimize modern political ideologies. The study-unit, therefore, will cast light on the enduring presence of the past in the contemporary Middle East, in the process underlining the relevance and importance of archaeology in the twenty-first century. Study-unit Aims: The aims of the study-unit are: - to explore the appropriation and (mis)use of archaeological heritage by nation states, autocratic regimes, institutions, and peoples in the Middle East; - to illustrate the interplay between archaeology and politics by means of a number of case studies; - to demonstrate the relevance of the study of archaeology in the twenty-first century, and how this could serve as a tool to interrogate and deconstruct political and ideological propaganda. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - describe and discuss how archaeological heritage is appropriated and (mis)used by nation states, autocratic regimes, institutions, and peoples in the Middle East; - analyze the interplay between archaeology and politics in the Middle East; - question and critique the use of the past in political and ideological propaganda in the Middle East. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - analyze critically the (mis)use of the past in various media; - appraise the importance of the humanities in the twenty-first century, particularly their role in interrogating social and political practices. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Bernhardsson, Magnus T. Reclaiming a Plundered Past: Archaeology and Nation Building in Modern Iraq. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2006. - Boytner, Ray, Lynn Swartz Dodd, and Bradley J. Parker, eds. Controlling the Past, Owning the Future: The Political Uses of Archaeology in the Middle East. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2010. - Galaty, Michael L. and Charles Watkinson, eds. Archaeology under Dictatorship. New York: Springer Science+, 2004. - Goode, James F. Negotiating for the Past: Archaeology, Nationalism, and Diplomacy in the Middle East, 1919-1941. Austin, TX: University of Texas, 2007. - Greenberg, Raphael and Yannis Hamilakis. Archaeology, Nation, and Race: Confronting the Past, Decolonizing the Future in Greece and Israel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022. - Kohl, Philip L. and Clare Fawcett, eds. Nationalism, Politics and the Practice of Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. - Kletter, Ras. Just Past? The Making of Israeli Archaeology. London: Routledge, 2006. - Lowenthal, David. The Past is a Foreign Country-Revisited. Revised edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019. - Meskell, Lynn, ed. Archaeology under Fire: Nationalism, Politics and Heritage in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. London: Routledge, 1998. - Pfoh, Emanuel and Keith W. Whitelam, eds. The Politics of Israel's Past: The Bible, Archaeology and Nation-Building. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2013. - Pollock, Susan and Reinhard Bernbeck, eds. Archaeologies of the Middle East: Critical Perspectives. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2005. - Silberman, Neil Asher and David Small, eds. The Archaeology of Israel: Constructing the Past, Interpreting the Present. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997. A more detailed reading list will be made available on VLE. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Dennis Mizzi Abigail Zammit |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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