"Archaeology is not an exact science..."

Posted by Abner (Dr. Ravenwood to my students) from user-38ld53k.dialup.mindspring.com on February 15, 1999 at 15:07:43:

In Reply to: Re: You call this Archaeology? posted by nitzsche on February 15, 1999 at 01:45:49:

Obviously, even he recognized that Indy had strayed off the beaten path of the discipline. In fact, the only appropriately depicted archaeology I recall in the entire series, was done by Belloch! Stick with it!
: --nitzsche

Yes, I agree. While early archaeology was definitely little different from what we call "tomb robbing" or "looting" today, even in Indiana Jones' time Indy would have been considered a rogue. Even Heinrich Schliemann was more scientific, and he was working in the 1800s. Real archaelogy is done with shovels and sifters (and today trowels and paintbrushes) not a whip and a Webley revolver! George Lucas obviously partly based Indy on real people like Hiram Bingham and Howard Carter, and also the many explorers of the the early 20th century who really did venture into South American jungles and die from poison arrows. That's what makes Indiana Jones so fun- he is a fantasy, and yet just realistic enough to almost believe he really existed. But he was hardly an archaelogist from what we see in the movies. Apart from the college lectures he is more of an Explorer, Adventurer, and "how does one say it, obtainer of rare antiquities." (He also totally destroys every major find he discovers!) But what sets him apart from the bad guys is that instead of selling his finds on the black market, he sells them to the museum.

I definitely enjoy reading books and National Geographic articles about archaelogy, and if you are loving the field, then that's great! For me, I've already graduated and majored in something else, so its too late unless... there's always grad school... And I didn't mean to put the field down- I've just had a few boring classes in the subject and wanted to lightheartedly point out how different the real thing is from Indiana Jones. I figured there would be a few more people like me here. I think a leather jacket would probably too uncomfortably hot in the South American jungle (although I have yet to try it, and hope to someday...), but archeology professors always do have the worst offices in some crummy basement!

Best of Luck in your studies,

Abner

Follow Ups:

Re: "Archaeology is not an exact science..." nitzsche 17:27:21 2/15/99 (1)
- Re: "Archaeology is not an exact science..." Anejo Joe 18:49:22 2/15/99 (0)

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: Obviously, even he recognized that Indy had strayed off the beaten path of the discipline.  In fact, the only appropriately depicted archaeology I recall in the entire series, was done by Belloch!  Stick with it!
: : --nitzsche

: 
: Yes, I agree.  While early archaeology was definitely little different from what we call "tomb robbing" or "looting" today, even in Indiana Jones' time Indy would have been considered a rogue.  Even Heinrich Schliemann was more scientific, and he was working in the 1800s.  Real archaelogy is done with shovels and sifters (and today trowels and paintbrushes) not a whip and a Webley revolver!  George Lucas obviously partly based Indy on real people like Hiram Bingham and Howard Carter, and also the many explorers of the the early 20th century who really did venture into South American jungles and die from poison arrows.  That's what makes Indiana Jones so fun- he is a fantasy, and yet just realistic enough to almost believe he really existed.  But he was hardly an archaelogist from what we see in the movies.  Apart from the college lectures he is more of an Explorer, Adventurer, and "how does one say it, obtainer of rare antiquities."  (He also totally destroys every major find he discovers!)  But what sets him apart from the bad guys is that instead of selling his finds on the black market, he sells them to the museum.

: I definitely enjoy reading books and National Geographic articles about archaelogy, and if you are loving the field, then that's great!  For me, I've already graduated and majored in something else, so its too late unless... there's always grad school... And I didn't mean to put the field down- I've just had a few boring classes in the subject and wanted to lightheartedly point out how different the real thing is from Indiana Jones.  I figured there would be a few more people like me here.  I think a leather jacket would probably too uncomfortably hot in the South American jungle (although I have yet to try it, and hope to someday...),  but archeology professors always do have the worst offices in some crummy basement!

: Best of Luck in your studies,

: Abner

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