A CONFERENCE AT DUKE:

Duke Conference April 23-24 to Examine Archaeology, Politics and the Media in the Middle East

Relations between scholars, archaeologists and the media are the focus of Duke conference

Monday, April 20, 2009

DURHAM, N.C. -- What happens when a discovery relating to the life of Jesus becomes the subject of a movie before it is properly assessed by historical scholars? The implications of this scenario and the complex relations between scholars, archaeologists and the media are the subject of an April 23-24 conference at Duke University.

The event is free and open to the public.

Speakers at the conference, “Archaeology, Politics and the Media: Re-visioning the Middle East,” will address such topics as cultural property and the role of antiquities dealers; the implications of media coverage of archaeological finds before scholarly vetting and peer review; and issues related to subsidizing archaeological enterprises. Conference participants also will seek to better understand the way archaeology and reporting affect the daily lives of lay communities in the United States and, specifically, Israel and Palestine.

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