Sarah Griswold: Resurrecting the Past: Archaeology and the Coloniality of Knowledge in the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon

May 7, 2026, 18:00-20:00
Online-Lecture
Language: English
 
Discussant: Ceren Abi (Middle East Studies Association – MESA)

 
How did heritage science abet the mandate regimes that took shape from 1918? This talk examines how the French mandate in Syria and Lebanon used archaeology, preservation, and museums to produce political authority after the First World War. It argues that heritage was not a secondary cultural project but a central technology of rule. In cities such as Beirut, Damascus, and Aleppo, scholars, officials, and local actors contested who had the right to interpret the past, control excavated objects and define historical value. Situating the mandate within wider intellectual and political phenomena of the era, the talk explores how the French mandate became a hub of innovation, rivalry, and exchange that created colonialist knowledge while also imperiling it.

Sarah Griswold is currently Associate Professor of History at Oklahoma State University and Associate Director of OSU’s Center for the Humanities. As of August 2026, she will be Associate Professor of History at the College of the Holy Cross. She is a historian of modern France, heritage, and knowledge production. Her recent book, Resurrecting the Past: France’s Forgotten Heritage Mandate (Cornell University Press, 2025), examines archaeology, preservation, and colonial governance in mandate Syria and Lebanon.

Second lecture of the Joint Lecture Series: “Hubs, Networks, and Trajectories. The making of Global Cooperation in the Humanities in Istanbul and Beyond” organized in cooperation with the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI) Istanbul, the Institut français d’études anatoliennes (IFEA), the Netherlands Institute in Turkey (NIT), the Orient-Institut Istanbul, the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul (SRII) and Pera Müzesi.

The language of the event is English. Participation is free of charge. The event takes place online. To join online no registration is necessary. Photos or videos may be taken during the event. By participating, you agree that these may be used on the OII website, newsletter and social media. The event will not be recorded.

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