An open letter circulated this week urges the trustees of the British Museum to show support for Palestinians and to address allegations that the institution is contributing to the erasure of Palestinian history.
The letter has been signed by a number of prominent cultural figures, including actors Siobhan McSweeney, Maxine Peake and Juliet Stevenson. Several organisations also endorsed the appeal, coordinated by the campaign group Culture Unstained, including Jewish Artists for Palestine, Archaeologists Against Apartheid and Artists & Culture Workers London.
The campaign follows reports last month that the British Museum had removed references to the word “Palestine” from some of its exhibit labels after receiving a letter from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).
They were apparently moved because they referred to areas that were not, at the time, Palestine. Like referring to any place in the 17th century as “Germany” would also not be appropriate.
Isn’t the normal way of referring to historical places is to say what the location was called then and what its current location is called now e.g. artifact dating from 1500bc was found in Canan which is in modern day Palestine.
It depends how well known the area is, and the context, but yes that is common.