Out of Time: Erasing Modernity in an Antique City

摘要

Considerations of the socio-politics of archaeology mark the contributions of H. Martin Wobst across studies of many different epochs. Socio-politics open avenues for archaeology to contribute to social justice, especially in places whose histories are fiercely contested, such as in the Middle East. In 1909, a clock tower was built on top of the Jaffa Gate of Jerusalem’s walled city; as a material intervention, it was noticeable and noticed. Early in the British Mandate, the clock tower was removed. While there have been many critiques of Israeli erasures of the Palestinian landscape, the antiquing of Jerusalem deserves critical attention. Invoking the dismantling of the clock tower reveals an important aspect of the transformation of the city.