Mideast Burning Man goes back to Stone Age
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An event in Israel’s Negev desert related to Nevada’s Burning Man festival may have literally unmade history, according to media reports.
Festival-goers at the May 20-24 Midburn festival unwittingly burned a mock wooden temple on a hilltop scattered with flint tools from the Paleolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, Israeli archaeologist Yoram Haimi told media.
Mr. Haimi said the extent of damage was unclear. The site — discovered 30 years ago — was unmarked.
A Midburn spokesman told media that antiquities authorities did not approach festival organizers until midway through the communal event.
“We are sorry,” the spokesman said. “One of our principles is ‘leave no trace.’ We are not for destroying.”
The Times of Israel reported that Midburn is a combination of the Hebrew word for desert, “midbar,” and “burn,” and said the festival is modeled after and licensed by the annual one-week Burning Man event held in Black Rock Desert, Nevada.
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