Archaeology and shared heritage under occupation : the case of Israel/Palestine

Since the 18th century, European archaeologists have considered themselves the true heirs of the marvellous heritage they were discovering in the Holy Land. In their minds, Arabs had no right to the heritage buried under their feet for thousands of years. After 1967, Israel justified the colonisation process, especially in the 1980s and 1990s, also using so-called "biblical archaeology": the destruction and cover-up of Palestinian knowledge and culture led to the irreversible loss of precious historical data, cultural traditions and even place names. In 1994, the Palestinian National Authority founded the Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage (DACH). Its policy in the last 30 years was aimed at the development of dialogue and closer collaboration with local communities. Palestine is a land that has a multilayer, multicultural, multiethnic, and 5000 years long history. Working together with communities is the key to speaking about the cultural richness and diversity of the history of the Holy Land. Is it possible to let archaeological heritage become a source of peace and dialogue between different cultures living on the same disputed land? This last question will be the final topic of the paper: it is time to speak about shared heritage. How can we, as Western archaeologists, do this in front of a community oppressed by almost 60 years of military occupation? How can we do it now, after almost 60,000 deaths in Gaza? Is it possible to use cultural property, together with people, to restore respect, tolerance, mutual understanding and, in other words, peace?