Chief of the Technical Departments at the

Ministry of Culture, Directorate General of

Antiquities, Lebanon

presents:

Paradigm Shifts & the Politics of the Past in Lebanon: Urban

This talk exposes the diachronic paradigm shifts in the Politics of the past in Lebanon since the late Ottoman period throughout the Mandate period and the pre-war times until the post-war reconstruction era. The use and abuse of the past on social, political and cultural identity will be explored and explanations on the different attitudes of the Lebanese authorities towards the archaeological and built heritage will be examined.

The focus is on urban archaeological dynamics in prewar and post-war Beirut reflecting the policies of the Archaeology Department as a direct result of

how people in that Department perceived the past and how it became a subjective dynamic for the future.

We will explore the practical, ethical and legal challenges of heritage management in post-war Beirut, discussing the new issues facing archaeological venture in the urban reconstruction process. Within this framework, both solutions and approaches adopted by the Directorate General of Antiquities are exposed, especially the rising issues relating to building versus excavation dilemmas.

(Talk presented in English.Simultaneous translation will be provided)