Session 3
Geographical,
Historical and Biographical Narrative
Alternatives
presented
by
Neil Silberman,
Director of the Ename Center for Public Archaeology and
Heritage Presentation in Belgium.
Mr. Silberman's
analysis offered a fresh perspective on the overall
implications of the Exploring the Common Heritage: Draft
Inventory of Sites of Shared Regional Heritage publication
by focusing on the narrative themes inherent in the site
selection. Mr. Silberman found that an examination of the
distribution of sites over historical periods revealed a
distinct pattern of central themes identified by each PUSH
team as well as the project as a whole. Silberman found
that through the site selection process the PUSH project
placed a marked emphasis on the Roman to Islamic periods.
Mr. Silberman then divided the sites into four thematic
groups; urban and rural life, coexisting religious
traditions, industrial and agricultural innovation and
relationship to the environment. Using these four themes,
Mr. Silberman stressed that we can untangle the conflicting
narratives to create a new narrative of past and future
highlighting the commonality of the narratives in respect
to the Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli sites. Thus, the
PUSH project could be considered the heritage project for
the future. He further noted that at this point an
understanding of what the site inventory tells us about how
we identify ourselves is also noteworthy.
The subsequent discussion period began with the suggestion
to utilize the four themes, individually select sites and
move on to experimentation. Participants noted that the
project needs to be honest with itself and be aware that
through our efforts we are creating an additional layer of
narrative. Mr. Silberman noted that one of the most
important elements of the project is the tri lateral
working process, making the documentation of the process
critical. Guests noted that the inventories were compiled
primarily by architects and archeologists, and that there
would surely be great differences in their composition if
there were sociologists, economists and other professional
representatives involved. Numerous other questions arouse
such as: What role can the site play for the communities.
How can PUSH empower communities? and How can we prepare
ourselves for opposition within the communities?
