Archaeology in the Educational Systems

This chapter examines how the recent history of the city and its geographic and cultural divides contribute to the complexity of educational systems devoted to the study of the city’s archaeological heritage. The numerous foreign establishments in the city devoted to the study and research of archaeology, all of which were established around the turn of the 19th century, are still active centers of learning to this day. The first Jewish establishments in the city dedicated to the field of archaeology were the Hebrew Society for the Exploration of Eretz-Israel and its Antiquities (since 1948, the Israel Exploration Society) as well as the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University, both of which have continuously remained involved in the fieldwork, research, and education of the field. Al Quds University’s Institute of Archaeology, the Center for Jerusalem Studies, and the Jerusalem Archaeological Research Unit, represent the leading Palestinian academic establishments dedicated to the learning and teaching of the field. Since fieldwork and other related activities in Jerusalem as of 1967 have become the almost exclusive domain of Israeli archaeologists, the most significant contributions to archaeological education and public knowledge and opinion have been made by Israeli experts.