“Mafishasahena”
On the 5th of August we were working on one of the sites. A boy of about ten comes riding his donkey and shouting something in Arabic. Our Egyptian colleagues translated it as “there is NO archaeology here (Mafishasahena)”: a sentence, the European archaeologists of our team also recognise. The practice of archaeology is much widespread and visible in Alexandria, that the lay person can distinguish a professional archaeologist from, say, a surveyor who works with similar equipment. But it does not seem to be a familiarity that they necessarily treasure.
Much of the land that we are surveying is state owned. However there exists an entire system of parallel ownership by the Bedouins who have lived in much of this land over a few generations. Curious enough, they engage in transactions of the ‘state- owned’ land with big time proprietors!
The identification of archaeological potential presents a threatening situation for the local people because there are real restrictions on exploiting the land for agriculture or for maintaining livestock, and also the fear of land ‘take over’. Hence, the land is sold immediately to private firms or construction companies, who bulldoze the region. Whatever archaeological remains that are present get destroyed.
Urban Alexandria is rapidly claiming the suburbs. On our route to the site one can see residential complexes springing up everywhere. One of the major hypermarkets, Carrefour is much off West to what is the urban centre of present Alexandria. And from the minimum interactions I have with the people here, it is apparent that the middle class frequent a place like Carrefour, thus bringing in the hitherto peripheral land within the limits of the city. Apart from construction, the land that is bulldozed is also used for cement factories. I cannot say for sure whether cement is exported from Alexandria. But, given the amount of construction that goes on, a great demand obviously comes from within.
The Bedouin claims on the land presents a very sensitive case. Quite often we encounter groups of visibly agitated villagers Many of the archaeologists I work with affirm that their ‘claim’ to the land is not legal. The destruction of the archaeology offends them. But it is the panic created by the interference of the archaeologist that prompts them to sell off the land in the first place. And could we say that the claims of people who have stayed there for a number of generations are less valid?
Work goes on here in full swing. Apart from pottery collection I did a bit of digging too. There are blisters all over my hand. My face looks quite interesting. The nose is jet black and stands apart from the rest of my face. It seems that the skin on it is about to peel off. A pink nose on a tarred face :)
Among the instruments we use, one is a magnetometer that tells you without digging whether there are any structures underneath. The person who uses it should not have any trace of metal in their body. I was on the point of shedding off, for the sake of academics, my valuable ornaments and buying new sandals and clothes which are totally metal free!! But then I realise that I would also have to knock off over 10 of my precious teeth that are filled. Tough decisions of life….
On the 5th of August we were working on one of the sites. A boy of about ten comes riding his donkey and shouting something in Arabic. Our Egyptian colleagues translated it as “there is NO archaeology here (Mafishasahena)”: a sentence, the European archaeologists of our team also recognise. The practice of archaeology is much widespread and visible in Alexandria, that the lay person can distinguish a professional archaeologist from, say, a surveyor who works with similar equipment. But it does not seem to be a familiarity that they necessarily treasure.
Much of the land that we are surveying is state owned. However there exists an entire system of parallel ownership by the Bedouins who have lived in much of this land over a few generations. Curious enough, they engage in transactions of the ‘state- owned’ land with big time proprietors!
The identification of archaeological potential presents a threatening situation for the local people because there are real restrictions on exploiting the land for agriculture or for maintaining livestock, and also the fear of land ‘take over’. Hence, the land is sold immediately to private firms or construction companies, who bulldoze the region. Whatever archaeological remains that are present get destroyed.
Urban Alexandria is rapidly claiming the suburbs. On our route to the site one can see residential complexes springing up everywhere. One of the major hypermarkets, Carrefour is much off West to what is the urban centre of present Alexandria. And from the minimum interactions I have with the people here, it is apparent that the middle class frequent a place like Carrefour, thus bringing in the hitherto peripheral land within the limits of the city. Apart from construction, the land that is bulldozed is also used for cement factories. I cannot say for sure whether cement is exported from Alexandria. But, given the amount of construction that goes on, a great demand obviously comes from within.
The Bedouin claims on the land presents a very sensitive case. Quite often we encounter groups of visibly agitated villagers Many of the archaeologists I work with affirm that their ‘claim’ to the land is not legal. The destruction of the archaeology offends them. But it is the panic created by the interference of the archaeologist that prompts them to sell off the land in the first place. And could we say that the claims of people who have stayed there for a number of generations are less valid?
Work goes on here in full swing. Apart from pottery collection I did a bit of digging too. There are blisters all over my hand. My face looks quite interesting. The nose is jet black and stands apart from the rest of my face. It seems that the skin on it is about to peel off. A pink nose on a tarred face :)
Among the instruments we use, one is a magnetometer that tells you without digging whether there are any structures underneath. The person who uses it should not have any trace of metal in their body. I was on the point of shedding off, for the sake of academics, my valuable ornaments and buying new sandals and clothes which are totally metal free!! But then I realise that I would also have to knock off over 10 of my precious teeth that are filled. Tough decisions of life….
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