The DOI matches its Crossref record; 27 of the 27 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 7 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
Time to decolonise: ‘If not now’, then when?
Open accessAbstract
The introduction of this special issue not only underscores the significance of engaging local communities in the reconstruction of their heritage in post-conflict contexts; it also emphasises the necessity and importance of including local researchers from the affected area, in this case the Arab region, in producing knowledge about its rich past. This special issue contributes towards a comparative knowledge base on the obstacles to and enablers of heritage reconstruction, management of cultural resources and recovery of societies in the Arab region. This introductory piece starts with examining the impact of colonial and post-colonial regimes on producing knowledge about the past and how the latter regimes introduced societal elitism in studying the past. I argue that by giving a voice and a chance to local scholars and early career researchers coming from the studied regions (even if they are currently based abroad), we would be taking another step towards decolonising the past by empowering societies and producing local decolonial knowledge about the region’s iconic ruins. Allowing alternative forms of non-Eurocentric (culturally diverse) knowledge production about the past, primarily generated by local scholars, to be introduced, presented, published and promoted would render knowledge production authentic and simultaneously delink heritage from decades of knowledge coloniality.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
This introduction to a *Journal of Social Archaeology* special issue argues that decolonising heritage knowledge about the Arab region requires centring local scholars and communities in producing knowledge about their own past. It frames the issue's four case studies as steps toward delinking heritage from decades of "knowledge coloniality."
Key findings
No empirical findings; this is a conceptual/editorial introduction. Its claims are:
- Colonial and post-colonial regimes produced knowledge about the Arab past in ways that entrenched societal elitism, reserving heritage study for elite classes and widening the gap between society and the field.
- Colonial ties persist: former colonial states (e.g. France, Britain) still conduct archaeological work in former colonies, keep looted artefacts, and use cultural diplomacy — illustrated by French teams holding "the lion's share of foreign expeditions" in Syria from 1920 until 2011.
- The special issue presents four case studies by eight scholars, "six of whom are from the Arab region": Eljamal on Lydd; Larkin and Rudolf on Mosul (fieldwork February 2022–June 2023); Salahieh, Asaaed and Zibar on Aleppo's Al-Jdeideh district (fieldwork April 2021–September 2022 and March 2022–February 2023); and Selim and Farhan on Iraqi youth (nine-month fieldwork in 2021).
- The author argues that including local scholars and early career researchers — even those based abroad — constitutes a step toward decolonising knowledge production.
Methods
Conceptual/editorial essay, not an empirical study. It draws on the author's own experience (PhD at the University of Amsterdam, postdoc at Brown University, fellowship at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies) and on a bilingual international conference, "Post-Conflict Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage in MENA," held in Doha on 7–8 March 2023, which the author organised and which generated the special issue. No formal analysis method is described.
Limitations
The paper states no limitations. Evident from the text: it is an introduction rather than a research article, so its argument is programmatic and supported by illustrative examples (France–Syria, post-Saddam Iraq–Britain) rather than systematic evidence; the four case studies it summarises are reported second-hand and their findings are not independently evaluated here.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
5 Own interpretation · 5 No basis given · 4 Sources not found · 1 Not checked yet
In the paper
“Since the early 20th century, cultural heritage and the study of the past in Arab states have been predominantly associated with the elite class or understood as domains reserved for the elites and their descendants.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Symonds and Munawar, forthcoming
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Not matched
In the paper
“As I have argued (Munawar, 2022), the idea that the state or the ruling regime is the sole curator of the nation's heritage, memory and cultural identity has facilitated and also reinforced the emergence of elitism in the heritage discourse.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Munawar, 2022
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Not matched
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“However, this should not distract us from the fact that cultural heritage, archaeology and, most importantly, knowledge produced about the past are deeply tied to and embedded in the introduction and expansion of colonialism in the Arab region and beyond.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Munawar, 2022
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Hamilakis, 2009 source
- Not matchedcites Said, 2003
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Not matched
In the paper
“However, this is, of course, not the only reason nor a recent phenomenon, as the practices of social elites claiming ownership of the past and stewardship of its knowledge in the Arab region can be traced back to colonial times.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Symonds and Munawar, forthcoming
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Not matched
- Probably not a substantial claim. 10
- It may state two separate claims as one. 5
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It was the first of its kind in the region's heritage field to announce an open call for papers and bring together local Arab and foreign scholars, early career researchers, practitioners and professionals working on cultural heritage.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Several Arab and Western colleagues strongly advised me not to go to Qatar, as it would have a negative impact on my career trajectory.”
boostedstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Heritage has always been political.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Those worrying, sceptical voices promoted the same type of propaganda as that produced by Western media outlets during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Allowing alternative forms of non-Eurocentric (culturally diverse) knowledge production about the past, primarily generated by local scholars, to be introduced, presented, published and promoted would portray knowledge production as authentic and simultaneously delink heritage from decades of knowledge coloniality.”
hedgedstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: A considerable amount of irrelevant knowledge about the Arab region has emerged over the past few years, characterized by pitfalls and lack of rigorous approaches.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Across the world, cultural capital in general, and particularly heritage and cultural memory, is considered as a means to achieve political gains.”
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“I argue that by giving a voice and a chance to local scholars and early career researchers coming from the studied regions (even if they are currently based and/or trained abroad), we would be taking another step towards decolonising the past by empowering societies and producing local decolonial knowledge about the region's iconic ruins.”
hedgedstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: The wider task of community engagement in rebuilding heritage in the Arab region in the early 2020s faces the obstacle of the lack of success stories.
- Rests on an assumption: A considerable amount of irrelevant knowledge about the Arab region has emerged over the past few years, characterized by pitfalls and lack of rigorous approaches.
- Rests on an assumption: In the Arab region, cultural heritage as a discipline has not received as much attention in scientific, academic or institutional circles as other disciplines.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Finally, the inclusion of the voices of scholars and researchers from the affected regions in academic discussions has the potential not only to open the door to diverse interdisciplinary theoretical and empirical avenues in heritage studies, but also to establish another step towards decolonial knowledge production in the Arab region and beyond.”
hedgedstates a possible cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: A considerable amount of irrelevant knowledge about the Arab region has emerged over the past few years, characterized by pitfalls and lack of rigorous approaches.
In the paper
“As the Syrian-British architect Azzouz (2022) puts it, 'Our pain, their heritage project' has been a key feature and an overarching framework of cultural heritage in the Arab region; I add that it applies to the knowledge produced about the past remains in conflict and post-conflict contexts by foreign scholars.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Azzouz, 2022
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Starting the conversation about participatory, people-centred and inclusive approaches to cultural heritage management ultimately feeds into broadening the horizon of heritage uses in post-conflict settings in a way that benefits societies, cultural heritage, democratisation and building and sustaining peace.”
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: Academic institutions, scholars, journals, publishers, states and even non-state actors have long advocated for community inclusion in heritage management and production of knowledge about heritage values, perceptions and practices.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This trend has widened the gap between society and the field of heritage, leading to a type of disregard for any discipline that examines the material culture of the past and produces knowledge of it”
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: unclear — It is unclear why the paper says it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper relies on this without support.
The wider task of community engagement in rebuilding heritage in the Arab region in the early 2020s faces the obstacle of the lack of success stories.
“the wider task of community engagement in processes related to rebuilding heritage in ancient cities and countries in the Arab region in the early 2020s faces the obstacle of the lack of success stories.”
The paper relies on this without support.
A considerable amount of irrelevant knowledge about the Arab region has emerged over the past few years, characterized by pitfalls and lack of rigorous approaches.
“Yet, over the past few years a considerable amount of irrelevant knowledge has emerged, characterized by significant pitfalls and a lack of rigorous approaches to understanding the Arab region, its heritage and memory, its diverse ethno-religious identities and, most importantly, its communities.”
The paper relies on this without support.
In the Arab region, cultural heritage as a discipline has not received as much attention in scientific, academic or institutional circles as other disciplines.
“In the context of the Arab region, cultural heritage as a discipline has not received as much attention in scientific, academic or institutional circles as other disciplines in natural, social and behavioural sciences or humanities.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Following the First World War, the interwoven relationship between cultural heritage and national identity was manufactured and led many to consider cultural heritage as an elitist discipline.
“Following the First World War, the interwoven relationship between cultural heritage and national identity, which grew hand-in-hand with the establishment of nation-states, was manufactured and led many to consider cultural heritage as an elitist discipline or a speciality of the elite class.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The colonial frame of archaeology has had a far greater impact on colonised societies in the post-colonial period.
“The ugly truth is that the colonial frame of archaeology has had a far greater impact on colonised societies in the post-colonial period.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The connection between the colonised and their colonisers has never been revoked, and this fact comes from acts related to heritage management and knowledge production about the past.
“The connection between the colonised and their colonisers has never been revoked, and this fact comes from acts related to heritage management and knowledge production about the past.”
The paper relies on this without support.
France used cultural diplomacy by easing university admission and granting scholarships to Syrian students and DGAM staff to facilitate acquiring excavation licences for French teams.
“Also, France used cultural diplomacy by easing university admission and granting scholarships to students from Syria and the staff of Syria's Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) to facilitate acquiring excavation licences and approvals for French teams in Syria from their Syrian counterparts.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The armed conflict in Syria marked a turning point: all official ties were broken due to deterioration of diplomatic relations between France and Syria.
“However, the armed conflict in Syria marked a turning point in the latter colonial 'bromance': all official ties were broken due to the deterioration of diplomatic relations between France and Syria.”
The paper relies on this without support.
DI is one of the few Arab region-based institutions that has such a purpose and high standards, and is capable of impacting social and intellectual change in a region largely portrayed via conflict and as a topic of study for Western institutions.
“It is in fact one of the few Arab region-based institutions that has such a purpose and such high standards, as well as being as capable of impacting social and intellectual change in a region that has been largely portrayed via conflict and merely as a topic of study for Western institutions.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Academic institutions, scholars, journals, publishers, states and even non-state actors have long advocated for community inclusion in heritage management and production of knowledge about heritage values, perceptions and practices.
“Generally speaking, academic institutions, scholars, journals, publishers, states and even non-state actors have long advocated for community inclusion in heritage management and the production of knowledge about heritage values, perceptions and practices.”
Citations
Cites
(2002) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203029817 · Cited by 170
Isakhan, B., & Meskell, L. M. (2019) · International Journal of Heritage Studies · doi:10.1080/13527258.2019.1578988 · Cited by 88
Bosnia and the Destruction of Cultural Heritage
Walasek, H., Carlton, C. B. R., Hadžimuhamedović, A., Perry, V., & Wik, T. (2016) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315569789 · Cited by 83
Gillot, L. (2010) · Bulletin of the History of Archaeology · doi:10.5334/bha.20102 · Cited by 75
Heritage and cultural healing: Iraq in a post-Daesh era
Matthews, R., Rasheed, Q. H., Fernández, M. P., Fobbe, S., Nováček, K., Mohammed-Amin, R. K., Mühl, S., & Richardson, A. (2019) · International Journal of Heritage Studies · doi:10.1080/13527258.2019.1608585 · Cited by 66
The “War on Terror” and the Military–Archaeology Complex: Iraq, Ethics, and Neo-Colonialism
Hamilakis, Y. (2009) · Archaeologies · doi:10.1007/s11759-009-9095-y · Cited by 59
Rico, T. (2016) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315520933 · Cited by 59
Cultural Heritage Reconstruction after Armed Conflict: Continuity, Change, and Sustainability
Khalaf, R. W. (2019) · The Historic Environment Policy & Practice · doi:10.1080/17567505.2019.1605709 · Cited by 48
Reconstructing Cultural Heritage in Conflict Zones: Should Palmyra be Rebuilt?
Munawar, N. A. (2017) · Ex Novo Journal of Archaeology · doi:10.32028/exnovo.v2i0.388 · Cited by 47
Self-citationEndangered archaeology in Libya: recording damage and destruction
Rayne, L., Sheldrick, N., & Nikolaus, J. S. (2017) · Libyan Studies · doi:10.1017/lis.2017.7 · Cited by 44
Research works printed but not linked: 6
- Aljazeera, 2023, Aljazeera
- Azzouz A, 2022, Changing Times, 11, 162
- Fisk R, 2008, The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq (Vol. 1)
- Said EW, 2003, Orientalism
- Symonds J, Munawar NA (forthcoming) Conflict narratives: cultural heritage practices in post-war Syria. In: Loeseke A, Wakefield S (eds) Cultural Heritage in the Middle East and North Africa: Third Actors, Mediators, and De-centering Practices. London and New York: Routledge.
- Willsher K, 2023, The Guardian
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Heritage Education as a Tool of Social, Ethnic, and Religious Cohesion in Iraq: Empirical Insights
Koush, A. (2024) · Journal of Field Archaeology · doi:10.1080/00934690.2024.2401211 · Cited by 6
Koush, A. (2025) · International Journal of Cultural Property · doi:10.1017/s0940739125000025 · Cited by 4
Encounters with Racialized Ignorance
Darko, F. D., Jaru, C. K., Ximenes, I. F. D. J., Bullot, N. J., & Enciso, S. W. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197607695.013.0075 · Cited by 2
On decolonising heritage law: a plea for a structural approach and a tentative proposal
Giorgallis, A. (2026) · International Journal of Heritage Studies · doi:10.1080/13527258.2026.2675711 · Cited by 1
Bolin, A. (2025) · Heritage & Society · doi:10.1080/2159032x.2025.2506132 · Cited by 1
Between Two Rivers, Between Two Empires
Leeson, M. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-93987-7_3
Leeson, M. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-93987-7_9
Dialogic Archaeology of Multiple Times and Ontological Pluralism: A Case from Türkiye
Tırpan, S. B. (2025) · Archaeologies · doi:10.1007/s11759-025-09546-8
Loges, L. (2025) · Enlighten: Theses (The University of Glasgow) · doi:10.5525/gla.thesis.85471
Heritage After Assad: A Decolonial Framework for Post-Conflict Syria
Munawar, N. A. (2026) · Journal of Field Archaeology · doi:10.1080/00934690.2025.2605603
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Munawar, N. A.
- Affiliations
- Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (QA)
- Corresponding author
- Munawar, Nour Allah
- ORCID
- Munawar, Nour Allah
- Venue
- Journal of Social Archaeology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2024-01-05
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 3-12
- ISSN
- 1469-6053 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-2951
- OpenAlex
- W4390638914
- Cited by
- 9
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 1
- FWCI
- 7.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Social Archaeology (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Qatar National Library
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Cultural Identity and Heritage
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation
- Keywords
- decolonization of knowledge, heritage reconstruction, post-conflict reconstruction, local community engagement, local researchers, early-career researchers, coloniality of knowledge, Eurocentrism, cultural resource management, Arab world, ruins
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
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