Can We Put West Asia in the Center?: An Introduction

Abstract

In light of the numerous current crises and wars, one may question whether it would even be useful to discussthe history of archaeology, particularly that of the colonial past and present of West Asia. As editors of this themeissue, we believe it is, since it continues to have a significant effect on the contemporary world. The macro-regionof West Asia remains at the center of global and regional politics, which can be traced to historical developmentsthat occurred at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Our conviction is that a greater understandingand critique of the history of our discipline and the inherent colonial practices will foster a more comprehensiveunderstanding of the current state of the massive conflicts shaping regional politics on West Asia.