Politics, Naïve Archaeology and Israel

"My interpretation," says Greenberg, "is that archaeologists are naïve children in their political perception.... They just don't want to know. They want to dig in the ground, get their hands dirty, find nice stuff, and it really is too great a mental exertion to think about what the impact is of what [they're] doing on society."

This quote from Tel Aviv University archaeologist Rafi Greenberg appears in a blistering article in The Nation this week, from writer Adina Hoffman. Called "What lies beneath", the article questions the politics behind ongoing Israeli excavations in the ancient city of Siloam, now the Palestinean city of Silwan in East Jerusalem.

Read this article, especially if Greenberg's quote hits too close to home for comfort.

What lies beneath, Adina Hoffman's article in The Nation, dated 30 July 2008

Thanks to faithful reader Forrest G for the tip.