Yesh Din and Emek Shaveh published a “rights booklet” for the first time ever on the subject of archaeology. The booklet is designed to help Palestinian landowners, lawyers in the field and organizational employees that meet and advise landowners, to understand the rules regarding antiquities in the West Bank, as demarcated by the Jordanian Antiquities Law and the Jordanian Land Law.

The booklet explains terms and legal statuses, such as expropriation and declaration, and clarifies their significance for Palestinian landowners in the West Bank. The booklet also contains a glossary of fundamental terms in the archaeological world; presents several rules of thumb on what a landowner should do if he discovers antiquities on his land, as well as an FAQ section on the various modes of actions and options at his disposal; the booklet also presents cases in which landowners have conducted a legal battle with the authorities on the right to use and manage archaeological sites on their land.

In the West Bank, there are many archaeological artifacts, and their discovery often makes it harder for landowners to continue cultivating their land. Many landowners are concerned about discovering antiquities that would force them to stop their land cultivation or construction, and even to expropriation. Being well versed in the relevant rules could help reduce the damage to their land and even enable them to benefit from the archeological relics discovered.