‘European Journal of Archaeology’: new review of 'Archaeology as a Weapon: Long-lasting legacies of colonialism and nationalism in Israel, Palestine, Cyprus and Greece'

We are pleased to announce that 'Archaeology as a Weapon: Long-lasting legacies of colonialism and nationalism in Israel, Palestine, Cyprus and Greece' by Marie-Louise Winbladh has been reviewed in ‘European Journal of Archaeology’, Published online 2026:1-4:

Contemporary academic research, particularly in archaeology, often revolves around narrowly defined topics. The rise of increasingly sophisticated archaeornetric methods has encouraged increasingly fine-grained analysis of excavated material. While this approach has the capacity to yield precise insights into a site’s formation, it often neglects a broader contextual analysis— especially the political, social, and economic forces that shape both the past and our interpretations of it.
Marie—Louise Winbladh’s “Archaelogy as a Weapon” stands in stark contrast to this trend. The book offers a comparative analysis of how archaeology has been politically instrumentalized in Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, and Greece. Its most significant contribution is its examination of this phenomenon not as an isolated national issue, but as part of a cross-regional pattern rooted in colonial and nationalist ideologies.
While the political use of archaeology in the Eastern Mediterranean has been studied before, Winbladh’s book breaks new ground by demonstrating that the weaponization of archaeology in all these regions is part of a shared struggle to contend with the legacies of colonialism and the pressures of neoliberalism. […]

[Extract from book review on the ‘European Journal of Archaeology’, Published online 2026:1-4. https://doi.org/10.1017/eaa.2026.10034]

Find out more about the book and order your copy here: Archaeology as a Weapon: Long-lasting legacies of colonialism and nationalism in Israel, Palestine, Cyprus and Greece

In Israel, Palestine, Cyprus and Greece, the reconstruction of the past through archaeology has been used to strengthen national identity. Narratives about the past and origin myths have been constructed for political purposes. Cyprus and Palestine have both suffered from British colonialism since the early twentieth century, which has had a profound influence on their cultural heritage. Through nationalism, archaeology has been exploited by far-right movements and political parties to claim ownership of heritage and has become an efficient political tool.
In Israel, archaeology and religion have been exploited to construct the Israeli state and still play a crucial role. The country claims to be the conqueror of Palestine under the protection of God, who they believe gave them possession of the land. Western religious groups are convinced that it is the religious duty of Christians to support the modern nation-state of Israel. Biblical archaeology has become an ultra-religious American speciality, marked by fraud and pseudoresearch. Notorious smuggling scandals were staged by American Christian multibillionaires buying artefacts looted from the National Museum of Iraq and other countries.
Looting, plundering and blacklisting are among the most serious problems in Cyprus, causing irreparable damage to artefacts, monuments and society. Palestine’s rich archaeological, historical, and religious heritage has been undermined by occupation and land confiscation. Hundreds of sites have been looted during the Israeli occupation, and an illegal trade of ancient artefacts has occurred on a large scale.
Populism is frequently associated with extreme nationalism and racism. Over the past few years, white nationalists and supremacists have seized the history of Greece and Rome. White nationalists and neo-Nazis in the US have used the slogan “Classics Made Great Again” showing their obsession with ancient sculptures and their alleged whiteness. When visiting Jerusalem, the Trump administration promoted an evangelical program where the politics of moral superiority is associated with white Christian supremacy. 

Title Archaeology as a Weapon: Long-lasting legacies of colonialism and nationalism in Israel, Palestine, Cyprus and Greece [Hardback]
Edition 1st
ISBN 979-8-8819-0273-5
Published in June 2025