Annexed Artifacts. Exhibitionary Bias in the public display of objects from the “Holy Land”
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 27/02/2021

My use of the term “Holy Land” is a deliberate reflection of the geopolitical eliding of regional states, which in this paper I argue results in an annexing of artifacts and an avoidance of issues related to territorial ownership, the legacies of colonialism and imperialism, and ultimately results in exhibitionary bias. A museum’s aversion to addressing complex issues of geopolitics, provenance, ownership, and archaeological site destruction caused by looting brings about distorted displays and inaccurate interpretations of the material record and injustice in the contact zone (sensu Pratt, Clifford, and Boast). Selecting particular things for public display and choosing to tell only certain aspects of the artifact’s backstory produces prejudice in the contact zone. While in this moment of decolonization, the trope of the museum contact zone may appear dated, but it provides a useful lens with which to scrutinize elements of public display. The unexamined exhibition of archaeological artifacts from the “Holy Land” offers a significant set of examples in curatorial decision-making, untold stories, breaches of the public trust, and bias in the contact zone.

MORAG M. KERSEL, DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY, DEPAUL UNIVERSITY