The Second Bethlehem International Conference
October 9-10, 2024
Palestinian Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: Towards Preserving Our Heritage and Confronting Its Destruction
The Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Program, Faculty of Arts, Bethlehem University
Call for Papers
The Second Bethlehem International Conference addresses the important topic of Palestinian cultural heritage. The call for this conference coincides with the continuous Zionist war on the Palestinians and their cultural heritage and the current events that will be engraved in the minds and consciences of all Palestinians. Palestinian cities and countryside, such as Gaza, Khan Yunis, Deir al-Balah…; Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Hebron in the West Bank, and in the Palestinian villages displaced since 1948 are subjected to destruction of this heritage. The Palestinians see their identity manifested in their cultural heritage accumulated over the ages, which for them preserves their narrative in this land.
The creative expression of human activity in Palestine began since man settled in ancient Palestinian sites. The archaeological record shows the accumulation of cultural material produced by the Palestinians in their ancient settlements. This cultural material has been an uninterrupted solid line of cultural continuity visible in modern and contemporary Palestinian urban and rural sites. The Palestinian cultural heritage includes tangible heritage: such as archaeological sites, historical cities, coins, pottery, costumes, sculptures, and traditional industries. It also includes the intangible heritage, such as customs, traditions, proverbs, popular dialects, to name a few.
The Second Bethlehem International Conference aims to shed light on the destruction and appropriation of the tangible and intangible Palestinian cultural heritage practiced by the Zionist establishment. For this purpose, the conference invites Palestinian governmental and private institutions, local, regional, and international institutions and scholars, as well as experts working in the Palestinian cultural heritage to submit research papers and studies, present the results of their work, or provide critical readings and reviews of these works. The conference themes are diverse which allows researchers to present contributions that address the different methodologies used in Palestinian cultural heritage studies and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.
To submit a paper or poster to the Bethlehem International Conference, candidates must send an abstract by email to: oabedrabo@bethlehem.edu
