this post was submitted on 15 Feb 2026
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Archaeology

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443
British Museum removes ‘Palestine’ from ancient Middle East displays (mander.xyz)
submitted 3 weeks ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/archaeology@mander.xyz
34 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/14/british-museum-removes-palestine-references-from-ancient-mi/

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[–] napoleonsdumbcousin@feddit.org 111 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (4 children)

the group claimed: “Applying a single name – Palestine – retrospectively to the entire region, across thousands of years, erases historical changes and creates a false impression of continuity.

It is understood that the “Palestinian descent” has been changed to read “Canaanite descent” in the Hyksos panel.

What they did is technically correct, Canaanite is the correct term for the time period. The term Palestinian did not yet exist.

BUT it is certainly no coincidence that "UK Lawyers of Israel" did request that change now.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 60 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

'Levantine' would have been a more accurate term. The 'Canaanite' term is specifically what's used to differentiate from 'Hebrews' in zionism, both before and after Israel was created. Biblically Canaanites are Phoenecians, which are one of many Levantine tribes and city states of the Bronze and Biblical eras.

[–] napoleonsdumbcousin@feddit.org 22 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

AFAIK it is common practice to call them Canaanites:

Thus, while "Phoenician" and "Canaanite" refer to the same culture, archaeologists and historians commonly refer to the Bronce Age pre-1200 BC Levantine peoples as Canaanites, while their Iron Age descendants, particularly those living on the coast, are referred to as Phoenicians.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canaan

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 25 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Not disputing that, but even in that section of explanatory text it uses 'Levantine peoples'.

[–] napoleonsdumbcousin@feddit.org 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Well Levantine is the broader term, so you need it to define the more specific term Canaanite.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 14 points 3 weeks ago

It's a broader term that is no less accurate. But it is also one more removed from political connotations since this is not just about using the term 'Canaanite' as it is also changing it from 'Palestinian.'

Changing 'Palestinian' to 'Canaanite' in 2026 specifically means something more given the Israelite-Canaanite context.

It's either malicious or stupid, and evidence is tending to the former for the group that sought the change and the latter for the museum.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Didn't the Bible also say that they were literal giants?

[–] als@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Also that people can be resurrected, that matter can be duplicated and all sorts of other bullshit

[–] maniacalmanicmania@aussie.zone 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

They had food replicators and teleporters back then? Things have really gone downhill.

[–] fallaciousBasis@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Some say what they were so large you could crawl into their anuses and use them as a type of motorcade. Giddy up.

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Cultural descendants of Palestinians did exist in Canaan at the time around 1200BC. I doubt that anywhere in that museum you would be able to find information about this though. Because the whole point of this debacle is a childish claim of the form "Our descendants was there first!". Given that kingdom of Israel was created around 1200BC it is no wonder they (Zionists) are flailing arms like spoiled infants like they always do and particularly obsessing about this exhibition that covers a date range somewhat before this.

If British Museum had any balls they would make this correction and add the history of Philistines next to it but we all know they wouldn't do it and why.

[–] napoleonsdumbcousin@feddit.org 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

The text changed in the museum refers to the origins of a specific line of Egyptian kings around 1650 BC. I think neither the history of the Philistines nor the history of the kingdom of Israel is relevant to this.

As to the question if they have the history of Palestine/Israel/Canaan/Levant somewhere else in the museum? I don't know, but I would hope so. If not, they would have a serious knowledge gap there. That topic deserves its own space, not a footnote in the Egyptian section.

[–] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

what time period exactly? because Palestine is mentioned during the bronze age collapse. it's pretty old.

although they refer to a specific group of people that settled a specific area.

[–] napoleonsdumbcousin@feddit.org 15 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Apparently the panel in the museum is about the Hyksos, so 1650 - 1550 BC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyksos

The oldest mention of the predecessor term "Peleset" is from 1150 BC. And the actual term "Palestine" appeared around the 5th century BC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_name_Palestine

[–] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

that would make sense then, given that at the time the Palestinians (Peleset) weren't even in the area, as they likely came from Cyprus with the Sea people.

similarly, Jews weren't there either, as they come from Babilonia. so cnaan makes sense.

that being said, there's much Palestinian erasure it makes sense to be hyper vigilant

[–] fallaciousBasis@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

It's just Canaanites hating Canaanites hating Canaanites.

Thanks God! 😂

[–] zabadoh@ani.social 73 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

The changes have been made following audience research, and after concerns were raised by UK Lawyers for Israel, a voluntary association of lawyers.

It sounds like the exhibits' text was politicized by this group.

The name "Palestine" for the region has been in use for over 1000 years.

The historian Herodotus is believed to have made the first textual mention of Palestine in the fifth century BC.

[–] gandhibobandhi@feddit.org 11 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

The name “Palestine” for the region has been in use for over 1000 years.

But from this article this is relating to:

Information boards in the museum’s ancient Middle East galleries, covering the period from 1500BC to 1700BC.

The change doesn't seem unreasonable to me. It wouldn't make sense to refer to Ancient Rome as "Italy" or Ancient Persia as "Iran" either.

[–] zabadoh@ani.social 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That does make the changes sound reasonable. Good point!

[–] OldChicoAle@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago

What about saying "present day Palestine" or "present day Iran"? That helps people understand relative to what locations are called today.

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Not when you consider the fact stated above that an powerful Israeli activist group is forcing the change while the people of Palestine are being systematically slaughtered and erased

[–] gandhibobandhi@feddit.org -2 points 3 weeks ago

The "powerful Israeli group" made a complaint according to the article, they didn't "force" anything. And apparently it was a valid complaint.

It doesn't seem ethical for a museum to reject valid complaints from certain people because you don't like the government of the country they're from.

[–] Natanael@infosec.pub 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

If a group of lawyers told me I can't talk about people from a region they don't like I'd laugh and ask if they want to lose their licenses to practice law

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 70 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Well, ofcourse they would do that. A genocide is not complete if you also don't erase a culture from history and collective memory, just killing them and forced migration is not enough. And I assume British museum has a lot of Zionist sponsors which is why they were so quick to agree on this. This is also another proof as to why "billionaire charities" are just tax evading methods to use insane amounts of money for attaching strings and their philanthropy is just pure bullshit.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 3 weeks ago

ethnic cleansing.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 48 points 3 weeks ago

Was it because of some Israeli bullshit group?

It was because of some Israeli bullshit group.

[–] atro_city@fedia.io 28 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The British Museum needs a proper relootig, honestly.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

As if British archeology needed to be shittier.

Ahem Elgin Marbles.

[–] Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago

Erasing an entire culture and people. Those who are responsible could give adolf hitler advice on genocide. I wonder who it could be? Surly someone whose people have never been subject to an attempt at the same.

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Literally antisemitism if you're acknolwedging the major players of Semitic languages, culture, and history.

Kind of the purpose of a museum; no?

[–] Tabula_stercore@lemmy.world 14 points 3 weeks ago

I don't get the hate in the comments. I would also remove Palestine from my house. I don't want to be bombed indiscriminately by Israel.

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

That’s pretty heartless and evil when you consider the fact that a powerful Israeli activist group is forcing the change while the people of Palestine are being systematically slaughtered and erased.

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 weeks ago

Britain: fast regressing to the XIX century white colonialist mindset which, lets be honest, the never quite fully left

Not that Europe's Posh Fascist nation was ever as culturally, socially and politically evolved as at least Western Europe, much less Northern Europe and Scandinavia.

Certainly, having lived for around a decade each, first in The Netherlands and after in Britain, I always felt Britain was decades behind The Netherlands in terms of how they looked at and treated people.

The most classist nation in Europe only every paid lip service to the idea that inherently all people are equal and equally deserving.