Palestinian Christians in the Mandate Department of Antiquities: History and Archaeology in a Colonial Space

Cultural diplomacy is often understood first and foremost as an activity of states and institutions, operationalising culture to wield power and communicate ideologies. This chapter considers the use of the concept firstly in terms of its impact on individuals affected by the activities of cultural diplomacy through education and employment by relevant institutions. Secondly, by examining the potential for such individuals also to act as cultural diplomats themselves, for their own subaltern and resistant ends, by tracking the life-histories of Na’im Shehadi Makhouly and Stephan Hanna Stephan, both Palestinian Christian employees of the British Mandate administration’s Department of Antiquities. This chapter shows how cultural diplomacy can be activated as a means of dissent within a colonial setting, but that its appeal and potential are limited.