Real Archaeologists

Real archaeologists don’t actually live the life of Indiana Jones. Neil Asher Silberman finds the fictional portrayal of archaeologists somewhat distressing.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of pop culture. But I have a problem with the entertainment tail wagging the archaeological dog. As someone who’s been involved in archaeology for the past 35 years, I can tell you that Indiana Jones is not the world’s most famous fictional archaeologist; he’s the world’s most famous archaeologist, period.

I’ve got news for Silberman. Real lawyers don’t exactly live like Perry Mason or the lawyers that Grisham writes about either. I’ve often envied Perry Mason for having only one case at a time, getting it resolved in a few days, and then having a new client immediately appear with a new problem and a new fee.

I know that the Indiana Jones series is just a campy tribute to the Saturday afternoon serials of the 1930s and the B-movies of the 1950s, but believe me, it totally misrepresents who archaeologists are and what goals we pursue.

And I would guess that the writers took some liberties portraying the professional life of Clark Kent, Dr. Kildare, and Rin Tin Tin. If I were an archaeology professor, I would be grateful that someone had the creativity to make my profession look glamorous. The alternative would be to pass two hours watching Indiana Jones grade papers at his kitchen table.

Silberman’s real point, however, is buried toward the end of his column – a political argument straight from the formulaic script of academia:

At a time when our national political debates are centered on our relationships with other cultures, when the question of talking to rather than attacking perceived enemies has become a contentious presidential campaign issue, . . . the thrill-a-minute adventures of Indiana Jones are potentially dangerous and dysfunctional models for both modern archaeology and American behavior in the world.

Who’s mired in fiction now? I didn’t know Indiana Jones was a model, dysfunctional or otherwise, for American behavior in the world. Do we expect archaeologists to lead us out of the political wilderness and into a new age of enlightened diplomacy? If only we had better, more genteel, models of archaeology, we would elect more Democrats and our enemies would love us.

No thanks. Give us more action. Maybe a movie about a blogger who jets around the world in his pajamas rescuing damsels and writing posts on his PDA while drinking martinis – stirred, not shaken.

Fantasy can be a guilty pleasure. But don’t confuse it with archaeology. And please don’t ever ask me about my fedora and bullwhip again.

A professor with a bullwhip and fedora? We could wish, but . . . too heteronormative, too patriarchal.