Department of Antiquities (Mandatory Palestine)
The Department of Antiquities was a department of the British administration of Mandatory Palestine from 1920 to 1948 that was in charge of the protection and investigation of archaeological remains and artefacts in Palestine.
Operation
In December 1918, while Palestine was still under control of a
- An "antiquity" was defined as any product of human activity before 1700 AD, though there was an exception for objects actively used for religious purposes.
- Authority from the department was required for the disposal or export of an antiquity.
- Permission from the department was required for excavations, and would only be given to "learned societies or institutions or to individuals of proved scientific competence guaranteed by such bodies".
- Proceeds from artefact discovery would be shared by the discoverer and the department in a proportion determined by the department, after objects needed for the "scientific completeness of the Palestine Museum" were chosen.
- The department had the power to expropriate or forcibly lease private property containing important artefacts if no satisfactory agreement with the owners could be reached.[4][2]
The Ordinance was replaced in 1929 and amended in 1934 and 1946.[2]
As well as a Director, the department had an Archaeological Advisory Board that included representatives of the major archaeological bodies and the main ethnic communities in Palestine.[4][5] The department included subdivisions for inspectors, a records office and library, a conservation laboratory, a photographic studio, and the museum.[6]
The department was located in a building called "Way House", north of the
Directors
- 1920–1926 : John Garstang, also director of the British School of Archaeology and member of the Pro-Jerusalem Society's leading Council
- 1927–1937 : Ernest Richmond
- 1938–1948 : Robert Hamilton
Publications
In addition to many publications on particular sites, and official lists of sites, the department published a journal called the "Quarterly of the Department of Antiquities of Palestine" from 1931 to 1950.[7]
Successors
Since 1948, archaeology in Israel has been under control of the
See also
- Department of Antiquities
- American Schools of Oriental Research
- École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem
- Jewish Palestine Exploration Society
- Palestine Exploration Fund
References
Bibliography
- (1932): Quarterly Of The Department Of Antiquities In Palestine Volume: 1
- (1933): Quarterly Of The Department Of Antiquities In Palestine Volume: 2
- (1934): Quarterly Of The Department Of Antiquities In Palestine Volume: 3
- (1935): Quarterly Of The Department Of Antiquities In Palestine Volume: 4
- "Antiquities Ordinance, 1920". Official Gazette of the Government of Palestine. 29: 4–16. 5 October 1920.
"Antiquities Ordinance No. 51, 1929". Official Gazette of the Government of Palestine. 236: 548–554. 1 June 1929.
"Antiquities Ordinance No. 51, 1929". Official Gazette of the Government of Palestine. Gazette Extraordinary: 1190–1191. 31 December 1929.
"Antiquities (Amendment) Ordinance No. 24, 1934". Palestine Gazette (Suppl. 1). 459: 183–184. 23 August 1934.
"Antiquities (Amendment) Ordinance No. 62, 1946". Palestine Gazette (Suppl. 1). 1536: 261. 20 November 1946. - Bentwich, N. and F. M. Goadby (1925). "The Antiquities Law of Palestine". Journal of Comparative Legislation and International Law. 6 (iv): 251–254.
- .
- Gibson. S. (1999). "British archaeological institutions in Mandatory Palestine, 1917–1948". Palestine Exploration Quarterly. 131 (2): 115–143. .
- Glock, A.; L. Glock; N. Lapp (2005). "Archaeology". In P. Mattar (ed.). Encyclopedia of the Palestinians (Revised ed.). Facts On File, Inc. pp. 73–75.
- Government of Palestine (1946). A Survey Of Palestine prepared In December 1945 and January 1946 for the Information of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry.