The movie, as noted in class, gave off many pretense vibes about the authentic character of modern archaeology. Unless one is oblivious or blind, it is painstakingly difficult to ignore the dominance of masculine features in this movie. It’s always Indiana Jones to rescue or Indiana Jones with a moment of brilliant insight; likewise, it is men who are primarily concerned with the procurement of seasoned artifacts for their museum or men who possess the greatest breadth of knowledge concerning the subject. From Indiana Jones’ Egyptian crony to his French archaeologist rival, all of the treasure hunters are men. The one, independent woman in the film is constantly undermined by Jones’ heroism or enhanced wisdom. The notion that men comprise the bulk of scholarly contributions as well as physical excavations is simply not true! In fact, the population of archaeologists is almost evenly dispersed in museum and consulting areas. And, as a matter of fact, the ratio of women to men in the university setting is approximately 55-45 percent (Kuijt).

        Another aspect of archaeology falsely depicted in “The Raiders of the Lost Ark” is the vast amount of danger and adventure that takes place. Movies such as “Indiana Jones”, “Tomb Raider”, and “The Mummy” can only be labeled under one genre: action-packed thrillers.

        Returning to Dr. Sebastian’s article, “archaeology really is exciting, and not for any of the reasons that Indy or Lara would suggest” (Sebastian 2003). Once again, she points out the ridiculous exaggerations of Indiana Jones: “I have not even, so far as I can tell, suffered from curses although I have had a few nasty encounters with serpents, scorpions, or lightening” (Sebastian 2003). “Real Archaeologists Wear Whips”, another website, mentions Indiana Jones as a glorified flick in which “magic and supernaturalism” swirl around him. Seemingly, all of these romantic notions of archaeology as an adventure are misplaced and downright wrong.

        Switching gears a bit, it would be negligent to deny the object orientation present in “The Raiders of the Lost Ark.” In all of his films, Indiana Jones is pursuing the Ark of the Covenant, the Sankara stones, and the Holy Grail. Likewise, Lara Croft is seeking a missing key that controls the destiny of a city. The “hidden goodies” (Rose 2001) have somewhat of a connotation of engendering wealth, fame, and power. Indiana Jones is almost pre-occupied, if not infatuated, with garnering these priceless artifacts, which he exclaims, “belong in his museum” (Johanson 2003). While artifacts, objects, and remains are integral to archaeology, they are not the focus; on the contrary, it is an attempt to understand the people of ancient cultures.

        Although archaeologists will resort to great measures, there is a clear-cut boundary. Contrary to movies such as “The Raiders of the Lost Ark” or “Tomb Raider”, archaeologists are not whip-bearing, gun-slinging renegades who would kill in order to obtain the desired prize in sight. Once again, it is important to reiterate archaeology as a scholarly field of education, research, and calculated excavation. It is not a practice based off emotional insight or spontaneity.

        The last inconsistency to note is the idea that all archaeologists are sophisticated world-travelers who spend half their lives abroad. First of all, as Indiana Jones mentions, “70% of all archaeology is done in the library” (Sand and McGuffins). This type of work could involve deciphering inscriptions, symbols, or paintings. In addition, only 30% of archaeologists actually engage in excavations abroad. Therefore, most American archaeologists spend their time in America learning about local and statewide sites. Also, every university has a representative that does some type of work on the local level. While people tend to believe that museums and universities employ archaeologists, consultants comprise 60% of the archaeologists out there (Kuijt).

        It is very interesting how we can let ourselves be swept away by and, in some cases, come to believe in the exaggerated and adventure-packed media portrayals of archaeology and the lives of archaeologists.  In a way, the media gives us what we want or what captures our attention, even if it means sacrificing the true character of archaeology.  The majority of the public would probably rather see an action-packed thriller than a documentary on mound builders.  So in one way or another, the general public is at fault for the inconsistencies of archaeology in the media because we market ourselves that way (Kuijt).  Exploration, suspense, and supernatural phenomenon are what sell!  Despite this fact, the media should really work on accurately depicting the true character of archaeology and the personal contentment that comes from the job.

Figure 6:  In the movie, Indiana is seen as a
professor for maybe 10 minutes!!