Academic Islamic Settlements and Occupation

An article on archaeology has been published here in an academic journal

Khirbat al-Mafjar and Its Place in the Archaeological Heritage of Palestine
Donald Whitcomb, Hamdan Taha
Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Volume 1, Issue 1, 2013

That name, Hamdan Taha, Dr. Hamdan Taha of the Palestinian National Authority Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, caught my eye. I had a run-in with him in October 2011.

This is what was published in his name:

The town of Shiloh is another target for Taha’s revisionism. Despite Shiloh being the capital of the Jewish nation for nearly four centuries and the Jews having brought the Tabernacle there, making Shiloh the religious center of the Israelites before Jerusalem, Taha is convincing the international community that the Jewish Shiloh never existed: “In Shiloh the settlers pretended to have found the tabernacles,” he proclaimed. “They can find the chicken bone my grandfather ate 50 years ago and say it was a young calf for ancient sacrifice.”

I wonder how the academic community relates to that and I'd like to see that article, sponsored by the Pennsylvania State University.

From the article's Abstract:

Khirbat al-Mafjar is a well-known Umayyad palace complex located near Jericho. The monument is one of the most important cultural symbols of early Islamic archaeology in Palestine. This article discusses the site’s initial association with the caliphate of Walid ibn Yazid in light of new excavations. Recent discoveries suggest the existence of an early Islamic agricultural estate and the potential for a new understanding of early Islamic qusur or proto-urban settlements. 

and in the journal's intro:

an insightful examination of the significance of Khirbat al-Mafjar for the Palestinian past;

At least we have the term "Islamic settlements". 

Khirbat al-Mafjar is, of course, Hisham's Palace.


From the Wikipedia entry:

Occupational History

The site is commonly thought to have been destroyed and abandoned by the earthquake of 747/8, but an analysis of Baramki's detailed reporting shows that this is incorrect. Instead the ceramic record indicates that the occupation continued through the Ayyubid-Mamluk period, with a significant phase of occupation between 900-1000.[10] Further excavations will no doubt contribute to a more detailed picture of the site's continued use through different periods.
Heritage

Hisham's Palace is the most archaeologically important Islamic monument in Palestine, and is a major attraction for both visitors and Palestinians. In 2010, according to figures collected by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the site received 43,455 visitors. The site is a common field trip destination for Palestinian schoolchildren. Foreign visitors who enter Palestine through the nearby Allenby Bridge often make Hisham's Palace their first stop. The site has been visited by foreign dignitaries, and was recently the set for a production of Shakespeare's Richard II.[11]

According to Global Heritage Fund (GHF), the rapid urban development of Jericho, as well as expansion of agricultural activity in the area, are limiting archaeologists’ access to the site, much of which remain unexplored. Conservation efforts aimed at protecting important structures have been hindered by lack of resources. In a 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, GHF identified Hisham's Palace as one of 12 worldwide heritage sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and destruction.[12] H. Taha, director of antiquities has published reports concerning the preservation of this and other sites in the Jericho region.[13]

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