The recent waves of violence engulfing major regions of the world did not start with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war, Hamas’ attack on Israel, or the Israeli bombardments of Gaza, Lebanon, or, more recently, Iran. But there is no question that these acts of aggression as well as the responses they have elicited have brought the planet ever closer to another world war. Attacks on civilians and non-military infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, and water supplies, abound. Massive bombardments, including strikes on oil facilities and nuclear plants, add dramatically to environmental damage, global warming, and to the potential for a nuclear catastrophe. We at Forum Kritische Archäologie are convinced that as archaeologists we cannot simply sit on the sidelines at times like these. With this set of contributions, we hope to initiate a discussion that reaches out widely into the community of archaeologists and cultural heritage specialists and does so without geographic limitations. We pose the question: how can archaeology and cultural heritage contribute to peace? We do so from the perspective that archaeology and cultural heritage have frequently been mobilized in ways that exacerbate conflict. Can we position these fields and the ways we work so as to promote peace and justice, bridging national, regional, ethnic, religious, and other borders? And if so, how?
