Extreme Exposure: Archaeology in Jerusalem 1967–2007.

A long series of excavations has been carried out since 1967 by Israeli archaeologists in 'unified' Jerusalem. Proponents have characterised this work as revolutionary and inspired by 'a free academic spirit'; critics have viewed it as part of the 'Jewish-colonial-nationalist project'. The truth of these views, which are not mutually exclusive, lies very much in the eye of the beholder. Despite the unified legal framework governing the excavation of Jerusalem, there is neither a single outlook nor an overarching plan in its conduct. Different excavators — and perhaps more significantly, different development agencies — have worked to different ends in Jerusalem, using a wide variety of means. Three stages may be discerned in the conduct of archaeological work in Jerusalem since 1967. The first two, spanning the first three decades or so of Israeli presence in East Jerusalem, may be characterised, by and large, as 'official' in outlook, i.e., governed by concerns of the central government and by the municipal leadership; the third, spanning the recent decade, is highly factional in outlook, i.e., governed by the pressures exerted on an increasingly decentralised authority by special interest groups, primarily those of the ideological-religious right. The conclusion of this paper puts forward some ideas for alternative action by archaeologists in Jerusalem, based on current concepts of best archaeological practice and on a proactive stance on archaeological ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]