Challenges and Expansions upon the Public's Understanding of Archaeology

	INTRODUCTION Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the Indiana Jones trilogy in general, is an excellent cinematography about the adventures of an archaeology professor on his quests to secure some of the most treasured artifacts of epic proportions whose existence is uncertain or their whereabouts unknown. Although Walt Disney created these movies in an attempt to captivate the audience with lush, tropical jungles, action-packed adventure scenes, and some always necessary suspense, they also gave a new generation a deeper appreciation for a scientific field that was extremely foreign to them. As most people have and still do believe, archaeologists’ main preoccupation is not merely digging around for bones. The misconception for this idea lies in museums central exhibits: dinosaurs. When these movies hit the box office, they expounded upon these predispositions that were formed over many years. Overall, Raiders of the Lost Ark provides viewers with an engrossing view of the practice of archaeology. This site will now examine in what ways it challenges and expands upon the public’s understanding of archaeology.
	TOPICS More than Digging Not so Adventurous World Mysteries Bibiliography
	More than Digging As previously mentioned, the first major way that Raiders of the Lost Ark expands upon the general public’s view of archaeology is by showing that it is not merely about digging in the dirt for bones or fossils. In a recent interview with a Notre Dame student with no archaeology background, the profession of archaeology was discussed. When asked about the role of archaeologists and their typical duties, Vincent Zuccaro said, “Don’t they basically just dig through the dirt and excavate fossils of dinosaurs and sites that pertain to human evolution?” This seems to be the common thought that runs rampant in our society about the function and usefulness of archaeology. Fortunately, Raiders of the Lost Ark helped change at least a certain amount of these misplaced ideas. Through the character of Indiana Jones, the viewer comes to realize that archaeologists can have a completely different agenda for work. Although there is some digging here and there in the movies, the general tasks that Jones pursues are that of seeking and finding “treasures.” At the same time that these ideas of digging for bones starts to be overturned, Indiana Jones sets up another set of stereotypes for archaeologists. This new stereotype is that every archaeological job is for a groundbreaking discovery. This is far from the truth being that most excavations or jobs would usually be considered mundane to the average person.Top
	Not so Adventurous This leads us to the next expansion upon the general public’s view of archaeology. In another interview with Notre Dame student Brian Dosal, he was asked directly about how the Indiana Jones trilogy made him feel about archaeology. When asked to describe the tasks of Jones, Dosal described it as, “an adventurous line of work that allowed for adventurous times, unlike the typical business world that [I] am about to enter.” When asked if he thought that this was a general view of archaeology or merely a typical movie portrayal, Dosal said, “Although it is probably a little over-emphasized, I think it does justice to the typical jobs an archaeologist performs.” An interview with Notre Dame student Thomas Kolinski reinforced this position. He answered the same question, “I know that the movie is over the top to a certain extent, but I’m sure that most archaeologists enjoy a decent amount of adventure and excitement in their excursions. I would find it exciting traipsing through jungles and rough terrain in order to secure an important relic that would give me fame.” Again, this overlying idea that archaeology is an exciting and adventurous profession seems to run deeply in society today. Raiders of the Lost Ark does not help at dispelling these rampant ideas either. All three films in the trilogy expand this idea. Indiana Jones is always seen in dangerous situations, usually life threatening, in order to secure some of the world’s most sought after relics. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jones fights the world power Germany Nazis. He is involved in multiple chase scenes and shoot-outs. Also, Jones travels around the world to many foreign lands. He is seen everywhere from the snowy mountains of what seems like Tibet to the deserts of the Middle East. Although traveling is typically a main component of archaeology, the constant moving between locations is not. Usually, an archaeologist remains at a site for years before fully exasperating all of the resources that a site possesses. Raiders of the Lost Ark does a good job at showing this aspect of archaeology, but like most movies, it provides an over the top look at the field. In the end, it does expand the public’s understanding of archaeology, but does so in an extreme way.Top
	WORLD MYSTERIES Another expansion of the public’s view of archaeology is by allowing for people to see some of the benefits of these various quests. Raiders of the Lost Ark allows for the public to see that archaeology can help reinforce some of the stories of history that may be true, but may be false. The best examples of this can be seen in the biblical implications of the trilogy. The main premise of Raiders of the Lost Ark is the hunt for the biblical ark of the covenant. In this movie, the ark of the covenant is found, thus proving that the Bible does, indeed, provide some actual historical truths to it. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has a similar plot. Jones uses his father’s manuscripts to outwit the Nazis in the search for the Holy Grail. Again, this is an extreme example because the real ark has never been found, therefore not proving any realities of the Bible, but it does provide insight into some of the goals of archaeology. Another interview with Notre Dame student Matthew Schmidt furthers this point. When asked if he thought that archaeology could help solve some of the world’s greatest mysteries, Schmidt said, “I think that the archaeology will never really help prove any real mystery. It basically only helps to verify the historical texts that already exist.” This skepticism about the benefits of archaeology is pretty typical of the general public. Brian Dosal had a similar response when asked the same question. Dosal said, “I think that archaeology is more of a confirming field. For the most part, we know how these different societies used to function and how they lived, so archaeology can not do too much to change the past perceptions.” Again, these are fairly typical views on archaeology. Unfortunately, these views are off base. In reality, archaeology has done a lot to change the common perception of how many past civilizations functioned. In addition, it has greatly helped in uncovering some of the real myths and mysteries that have eluded theorists in the past. Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, although over the top, help show the public that archaeology does play a significant role in backing up some of the real mysteries of the past while helping to rewrite our views of ancient socities in others.Top


	BIBLIOGRAPHY Dosal, Brian. Personal Interview. 24 Mar. 2004. Kolinski, Thomas. Personal Interview. 24 Mar. 2004. Schmidt, Matthew. Personal Interview. 24 Mar. 2004. Zuccaro, Vincent. Personal Interview. 24 Mar. 2004. Top