The archaeology of Biblical lands has always occupied a strong position in research and in the public imagination. The walls of Jericho, the tomb of Mohammed, the Qumran scrolls and Mam’luk temples have done a great deal to make known to the world how archaeology works. What is less well-known is how politicised such research can be – to the extent of seriously misrepresenting events, personalities and places of the past. This lecture is thus less about the archaeology of Palestine and Israel, than it is about the religious and political agendas that influence research. Usefully, Apartheid and democratic South Africa is here a useful case study that helps us better understand how a single building can, for example, be interpreted as a synagogue, a mosque and a multi-faith meeting house. The lecture also features former US First Lady Laura Bush and a comparison between Mapungubwe and Masada, Jan Smuts and Moshe Dayan.

WEDNESDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2010 AT 19:00 IN IT-BUILDING, ROOM 2-27