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Emek Shaveh
Emek Shaveh
Emek Shaveh is an Israeli NGO working to prevent the politicization
of archaeology in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and
to protect ancient sites as public assets that belong to members of all
communities, faiths and peoples. We view archaeology as a resource for
building bridges and strengthening bonds between peoples and cultures.
We object to the fact that the ruins of the past have become a tool
in the service of a national struggle and work to challenge those who
use archaeological sites to dispossess disenfranchised communities.
We believe that archaeological sites cannot constitute proof of
precedence or ownership by any one nation, ethnic group or religion over
a given place. The archaeological find tells a complex story that is
independent of religious dictates and traditions. Listening to this
story and bringing it to the wider public can enrich our culture and
promote values of tolerance and pluralism. We believe that the cultural
wealth of this land belongs to the members of all its communities,
peoples and faiths. An archaeological site is comprised not only of its
excavated layers, but also its present-day attributes – the people
living in or near it, their culture, their daily lives and their needs.
We view the practice of archaeology as an endeavor that can benefit
the common good. The various means of involving local communities in
work on the site in or near which they live, whether it is managing its
heritage, engaging in joint excavations, developing the site, or
devising tours that combine visits to the site with an introduction to
the local community — strengthen a community’s relationship with its
larger environment, yield economic dividends and can bring about
significant social change.
We believe that becoming familiar with the complex and diverse
history revealed through archaeological research can teach us something
essential about ourselves, and cultivate an appreciation of this
country’s vast cultural diversity, in the past and present.
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