Fadel Al Utol, "the archaeologist without a degree," guardian of Gaza's buried memories
Archaeologist Fadel Al Utol (arms raised) in front of the Tell Es-Sakan archaeological site, south of Gaza City, in 2017. MOHAMMED ABED / AFP
Despite the destruction caused by the war in the Gaza Strip, this "archaeologist without a degree" has devoted all his time to the enclave's heritage since his adolescence, with a view to preserving the richness of its past and its identity.
Fadel Al Utol has not forgotten the actions he performed on October 7, 2023. At 5:45 a.m., he began removing the tarpaulins protecting the 135 tombs unearthed at the Roman necropolis of Ard Moarbin, in the northern Gaza Strip. At 6:27 a.m., he heard rockets cracking the sky and immediately called French archaeologist René Elter to advise him not to join him. At 6:30 a.m., he began covering the tombs again. At 7:00 a.m., with the rockets still flying, he asked his four workers to return home and did the same, buying supplies for his wife and their six children along the way. At 8:00 a.m., he received the news: Hamas had launched an unprecedented attack on Israel.
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La Croıx
