Our workshop aims to shed light on the various actors and institutions who shaped the field of prehistory from the 19^th century until our days. They will allow us to grasp the establishment and development of prehistoric international and local networks on the longue durée. We encourage participants to address the socio-political and cultural contexts in which prehistory was practiced and knowledge produced. Many answers to the above questions and topics of research may be uncovered in personal, institutional, and administrative archives, while others are revealed in excavation reports. This brings us to the last section of our workshop: what sources for the history of Prehistory and how can they be used? Has the writing of a renewed history of the discipline affected today’s research and how?

Argument

The history of archaeology in Palestine and Israel has been the object of numerous research projects and publications over the past fifty years. Scholars from various disciplines observed from historical, anthropological, archaeological perspectives the establishment and development of archaeology on local, regional, and sometimes global scales. Lately, a more systematic use of archives deepened our understanding of the multiple institutions and actors (offering greater visibility to local figures) involved in the practice of archaeology and knowledge it produces, therefore renewing this field of research.

Within this rich historiography, prehistoric archaeology in Palestine and Israel is still overlooked. Yet it is an integral part of the first scientific explorations of Palestine which began in the 19th century. Conducted by foreign scholars, diplomats, religious and laymen and women, engineers of the army, amateurs of antiquities and natural history, these expeditions played a major role in the shaping of the discipline as a whole and therefore of prehistoric archaeology. Over time, the establishment of national, religious, or academic institutions specialized in the field of archaeology in Jerusalem encouraged the development of prehistoric research in the region.

In its early stages prehistoric archaeology was mainly produced by scholars of West and East- European origins which were overtime joined by local prehistorians. These specialists, from various origins and of different backgrounds, collaborated in the field while navigating between local and international scientific institutions. Consequently, prehistoric archaeology was influenced and structured overtime by different schools of thoughts on theoretical and methodological levels while material remains were examined from multiple scientific angles. By soliciting contributions on these topics, our workshop represents an opportunity to reflect on the construction of prehistory in Palestine and examine its diverse origins and international scope – which persisted in the newly founded State of Israel after 1948. For example, through the figure of Jean Perrot who founded the French Research Center in Jerusalem in the 1950s – or the influence of the “New archaeology” school on Israeli Prehistory.

Our workshop aims to shed light on the various actors and institutions who shaped the field of prehistory from the 19th century until our days. They will allow us to grasp the establishment and development of prehistoric international and local networks on the longue durée. We encourage participants to address the socio-political and cultural contexts in which prehistory was practiced and knowledge produced.Many answers to the above questions and topics of research may be uncovered in personal, institutional, and administrative archives, while others are revealed in excavation reports. This brings us to the last section of our workshop: what sources for the history of Prehistory and how can they be used? Has the writing of a renewed history of the discipline affected today’s research and how? Our workshop is conceived as a space to present different records, their nature and story, which shed a light on the history of the discipline, its actors, and its institutions.

In conclusion, we seek to gather scholars, Ph.D., and M.A. students from Israel and abroad, who are interested and/or involved in the history of prehistory research and encourage transversal and international perspectives. We also welcome propositions on ongoing projects or publications, which could lead to rich discussions.

Workshop organizers: Chloe Rosner (chercheuse associée au CRFJ & UMR TEMPS 8068 ) & Sveta Matskevich (HUJI). International workshop organized by the Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, funded by the Bina and Moshe Stekelis Fund for Prehistoric Research, with the collaboration of the French Research Center in Jerusalem

Submission guidelines

Presentation proposals will include the following:

• presentation title
• names of the contributor(s)
• an abstract: maximum 300 words
• short biography: maximum 45 words

Please send your proposal to rosner.chloe@gmail.com or s.matskev@gmail.com

by April 30th, 2022.

Accepted presentations will be notified by mid-May 2022.

Length of presentations: 15 minutes.

Language: English (French can be accepted after discussion with the organizers).

Scientific coordination

• Chloé Rosner (Chercheuse associée au CRFJ & UMR TEMPS 8068)
• Svetlana Matskevich (HUJI)