Archaeology on the Web:
The best and worst archaeology websites available on the internet.

Best of the Web  |  Worst of the Web  |  References



Best of the Web ~ ArchNet
 
     ArchNet is an archaeology website created and maintained by the Archaeological Research Institute, which is a department at Arizona State University.  The purrpose of the ArchNet website is explicitly stated on their welcome page:
     "The ArchNet website is designed to promote appreciation, understanding, and knowledge about archaeology and the preservation and interpretation of cultural resources, both prehistoric and historic...our goal was to create a thematic catalogue of all available WWW resources produced by archaeologists. A secondary goal was to create an index of preservation policy texts from federal and state agencies that could be easily updated and accessed by preservationists."
The purpose of the ArchNet site, then, is to facilitate the study and understanding of archaeology to allow the general goals of archaeology to be fulfilled.  The search and acquisition of archaeology resources is specifically plausible through the WWW Virtual Library that is part of ArchNet.
     The site is very explicit about its associations; it directly states immediately underneath its banner title that it has been created by the Archaeological Research Institute.  The first sentence of the  first paragraph of text that follows the title banner explains that the Archaeological Research Institute has stemmed from Arizona State University, and provides direct link to both groups.  Examination of the Archaeological Research Institute webpage provides the names of all the individuals associated with this group, thus providing all the possible names of those who have contributed to the ArchNet site.  Within the ArchNet site itself, two specific individuals are highlighted as the main contributors to the site: co-founders Thomas K. Plunkett and Jonathan M. Lizee.  Because their credentials were not directly stated, a search of their names discovered that Lizee is a doctor and professor of anthropology and Plunkett is a web guru.  Their assets combined, it is apparent that an anthropology Ph.D./prof and a web developer would together be well-placed to together make a website like ArchNet that allows electronic access to myriad resources.  Within the context of the WWW Virtual Library, the names and roles in development of the site are again directly stated:
     "The VL is the oldest catalog of the web, started by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of html and the web itself...each maintainer [of individual indexes] is responsible for the content of their own pages, as long as they follow certain guidelines. The central catalog pages are maintained by Gerard Manning. A database of VL sections and their maintainers is kept by Alan Thornhill and Jennifer Drummond, who also maintain the VL mailing lists. The VL was first conceived and run by Tim Berners-Lee, and later expanded, organised and managed for several years by Arthur Secret."
     The site is very clearly organized with a site map menu, displayed to the right.  By clicking on either the image or the corresponding text, readers can connect to the different subpages.  Each subpage in turn offers different links to articles, books, resources, etc.  The layout is very well organized, with the same site map pictured right at the bottom of each subpage to allow for easy navigation.   Should the topic names alone be insufficient for some readers, one can click to a subpage that provides 
describes of each topic from the menu at right.  Further, for those who would like to see how the website was organized to allow for relative flow can link to a specific site navigation subpage.  A general help page also exists (linking from the bottom right "Q&A" link) that provides additional help for using the site, as well as answers to archaeological questions and information on archaeology as a career.  A search engine within the site also allows the reader to look up specific topics.

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Worst of the Web ~ TreasureExpositions.com
 

     The site treasureexpeditions.com claims to be “dedicated to archaeology, treasure hunting, and shipwreck recovery”, but it is 
more dedicated to selling books, videos, magazines, and other products produced by the creators of the site.  The creators of Treasure Hunters intentions are not to promote archaeology as a science in order to better understand the past, present, or future, but they created the site for the sole purpose of enticing the reader to purchase products that will pad their own pockets.  There are many sites on the web that feign furthering the field of archaeology, but this site is one of the worst.     
     The creators of the website are the first thing that should alert someone that this site is not legitimate.  There is a list of the contributors to the site and only one of them was a college degree.  In fact, none of them even claim to be archaeologist, but they all claim to be divers and treasure hunters.  They all claim to know of and found buried treasure.  Even though the site claims to have been “the result of the cooperation of leading authorities in the fields treasure hunting, archaeology and shipwreck recovery”, there are no authorities of archaeology associated with the site. 
     However, most of the contributors to the site are associated with one common ideal.  They are all associated with Treasure Quest magazine.  In fact, there is a “Special Offer” on the site to be able to purchase “the RARE and HARD TO FIND back issues of Treasure Quest Magazine; these are unused and non-circulated issues straight from our warehouse” for the low, low price of just $45.  Along with this great deal, the site offers viewers to purchase books written by the creators of the site that describe their many adventures while treasure hunting.  Also, the books describe where the treasure is, and how for a fee the author might be able to take the reader to the places.  Thus, the reader might find some buried treasure of his or her own.
     This site does not employ archaeological data to support its claims of buried treasure even though it claims to be furthering the field of archaeology.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Even if the treasure hunters had found real archaeological sites, they would be destroying them and not ensuring that the artifacts found were studied and used to contribute to science.  Instead of doing this research, the creators of this site are allowing the viewer to purchase them.  The viewer can easily purchase pendants, earrings, jewelry, gold and silver coins, and “artifacts” just by clicking on the sites “Treasure Store” link and finding the jewel of their dreams.  For the low price of $1200, the viewer can have the “emerald pendant” that he always wanted.  The site even provides authentic reproductions of maps and charts and tools so that the viewer can go on a treasure expedition of his or her own.  This site is bad.
     This site is horrible, maybe the worst on the web.  Its claims of furthering the field of archaeology are completely false.  The creators want nothing more than to play on the false perceptions of archaeology common in the media and films of the “Indiana Jones” type archaeologist who travel to exotic places in search of lost artifacts and treasure.  The creators of this site are not archaeologists.  They are not even Indiana Jones.  They are divers who want to sell their junk to unsuspecting rubes perusing the Internet.  They entice viewers with their tales of “The Manila Galleons” and “Gold Doubloons” in attempt to get them to buy their products.  The reason why this site is so bad is that it uses science to give it weight, but it is nothing more than a glorified EBAY.
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 References
 
 

This page was created as an assignment for Archaeology 301: Myth and Reality at the University of Notre Dame.
Please feel free to email either Mary Aimonovitch or Tyler Davis if you have any questions on this topic.