Archaeology Goes Pop!

This episode, presented by Victoria and Jess, offers insight into the portrayal of archaeologists in popular media—with a particular spotlight on George Lucas’s Indiana Jones. They discuss how these representations came about, what ideas propagate from them, and the positives and negatives of their public consumption. Topics utilized in this episode include Egyptomania, eurocentrism, ethics in archaeology, children’s media, and the realities of archaeological work.

At the end of this episode, listeners will be able to:
•Assess how archaeology as a discipline is represented in entertainment media
•Analyze the positive and negative consequences of Indiana Jones and other fictional
archaeologists
•Recognize how archaeologists can engage with fictional representations of archaeology

In this episode, Jess and Maddie take down the concept of ‘ancient aliens’ by discussing in further detail the topics of racism, white supremacy, and ownership as they relate to pseudoarchaeology. They also discuss why these ideas are so attractive for people and what makes them convincing. Topics touched on in this episode include the TV shows Ancient Aliens and Stargate and archaeological examples such as the Nazca lines, Peru, and the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt.

At the end of this episode, listeners will be able to:
•Acknowledge the ways in which ancient alien theories perpetuate ideas of white supremacy
and ownership
•Identify real-world consequences of pseudoarchaeological theories
•Describe the ways in which media utilizes visual-auditory cues to reinforce conclusions

In this introductory episode, hosted by Teegan and Victoria, the key concepts of ‘archaeology’ and ‘pseudoarchaeology’ are presented, contrasted, and deconstructed. Listeners are introduced to their origins, emphasizing the racism that they stem from and how these relate to pseudoarchaeological myths and to broader themes in the representation of archaeology in popular media. Lastly, efforts to combat pseudoarchaeology are discussed.

At the end of this episode, listeners will be able to:
•Define and contrast archaeology and pseudoarchaeology
•Recognize the origins of pseudoarchaeology
•Identify how conceptions of the other appear in pop culture/pseudoarchaeology
•Identify how archaeology has been co-opted by different groups