In October 2009, the archaeological National Park of Avdat in the Israeli Negev desert was anonymously vandalized (Figure 1). Widely publicized in the media, the vandalism was depicted as a destruction of a heritage site of the utmost importance. Following the arrest of local Bedouin suspected of committing the act in retaliation for the destruction of illegal buildings in their nearby home village, the Jewish regional council mayor emphasized the urgency of commencing a battle against the Bedouin over control of the Negev lands.
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First of a series of over 20 articles based on presentations from the World Archaeology Conference 7 in Jordan
Chemi Schiff starts off by looking at contemporary ideological use of archaeology and how it illuminates the challenges societies face in their quest to reconstruct their national identity.
Recent processes of globalization enabled the reconstruction of the Nabatean town of Avdat in a more pluralistic and inclusive manner, however, is this processes paradoxically reinstated the estrangement of the indigenous local Bedouins.