6

I will most probably reflect on my report (and perhaps the readings for this class today) later on tonight or tomorrow, but for now, here are my notes for this class. There was a mix of readings that weren't as evenly or obviously connected as last week's readings, but there was this one particular theme, most prominent, of the media misinterpreting and being impatient with archaeologists and their field work (for example, National Geographic and journalists, in general). There seems to be so much misunderstanding when it comes to understanding what archaeology is...!

These notes were taken on my laptop, so they're longer and more detailed.

“Responsible Archaeology Is Applied Anthropology” – Pyburn and Wilk

- Archaeologists need to let local people (near their excavation site) teach them about their interest in the past

- Archaeology must offer something to the people of the land

- Collaboration has problems (between locals and archaeologists):

1) Time scale – things happen slowly in communities

2) Lack of infrastructure – overcoming factionalism and build a consensus

3) Power – power shifts

- Ethical responsibility – only thing that will keep archaeology alive.

+ Need to be applied anthropologists, as well

- Respect for anthropology and archaeology

“Archaeology’s Perilous Pleasures” - Lowenthal

- Archaeologys new found importance stems from:

1) unique focus on the remotest epochs of human existence (exotic secrets)

2) concern with tangible remains (credibility)

3) attachment to issues of identity and possession that embroils everyone

- Three realms of discourse: antiquity, tangibility, present day relevance

- ANTIQUITY -

- Ancient remains arouse widespread awe

- With priority comes entitlement (what comes first)

- TANGIBILITY -

- “fieldwork” – unearthing treasures of high value

- convincingly real

- physical decay is painful to us so we are obsessed with conservation

- tangible character makes archaeological evidence gripping, but at the same time, incomplete and deficient

- RELEVANCE -

- relevance to current social and political issues

- archaeologists often exemplify national feelings (especially in newly ex-colonial countries

- archaeologists are not immune to pressures to conform to national, ethnic, and personal agendas

- excavations the pawns of personal ambitions and nationalist goals

- heritage benefits

“Mixed messages: Archaeology and the media” – Finn

- Archaeology has become a part of popular TV and articles, make more of any mysterious archaeological data

+ Stories are skewing the subject

- Archaeologist as hero – damaging publics understanding of archaeoligcal work

- Archaeologists hold back information until it makes sense in academic terms

- Site security an issue, journalists always hungry

- Impatience rubs against the pace of archaeological excavation

+ Cut to shots of mummies, but don’t blond the viewer with science

- Impatience rubs against the pace of archaeological excavation

- Archaeologists claim journalists are superficial and their accounts distort the picture, journalists claim archaeologists are mean with information

- Archaeologists questions are asked post-excavation, when all the evidence obtained is considered. Journalists want the information now.

- Journalism teaches archaeology that the process of understanding is dynamic

“Archaeology Matters: Action Archaeology in the Modern World” – Sabloff

- People see archaeology in terms of entertainment rather than as a discipline that is relevant to life

+ Lack of understanding may be laid at the door of archaelogists themselves

- No reaching out to public

- “unless archaeologists find ways to make their research increasingly relevant to the modern world, the modern world will find itself increasingly capable of getting along without archaeologists”

- Popular writing frowned upon by some academics, then popularization in other media even worse. Therefore, archaeologists don’t use popular media to publicize themselves.

- Not only should archaeologists communicate with the public, they should also demonstrate that archaeological research can help improve our world today and in the future

+ “action archaeology”

- conservative field, change does not come easily

“Public presentations and private concerns: archaeology in the pages of National Geographic” – Gero and Root

- how archaeology participates in the formation of the dominant political ideology of America

+ interpreting the past plays an active function in legitimating the present

+ how archeology is exploited + capitalized upon to reinforce the dominant ideology that produced it, in National Geographic

- Nat Geo – Founded in 1888, coincided with transformed world view, dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of specialized geographic knowledge.

+ Publicize nationalist ideology, presents “view of past that promotes technological progress as cultural superiority”

+ Hints to expanding capitalist society – past represented in exquisite objects

- Photography crucial

+ Illustrates archaeology as exploration, drama

- Stresses exploration in remote places, overemphasize discovery of lost civilizations

- Telling of the past hints to our dominant ideology: Eurocentrism, nationalism, racism, materialism, sexism, state-level society

- Industrial capitalism

5

Image credit to http://www.disneydvdmovies.com.

I ended up watching "Atlantis: The Lost Empire", which is fascinating when examined with a critical eye. Something I really focused on was this consistent and prominent theme

of Western power vs. foreign power (in addition to how archaeology is stereotyped, of course), and how weak other powers are in comparison to the Western world, namely, the United States. For example, the movie explicity states that the main character, Milo Thatcher, is an assistant at an American museum in Washington D.C., and his crew of archaeologists is assembled in America (although they tried to save face for this by giving the crew exotic/foreign names, ie. Vincenzo Santorini). Nearly 30 minutes into the movie, after meeting this American crew, the "Atlantians" as they are so called state that "if these outsiders [Americans] can unlock the secrets of our past, perhaps we can save our future". Already there is a dependence on Western powers as the Atlantian powers are rendered useless and incapable of saving their own civilization. There are other instances, but perhaps that is something to speak about in my paper.

Here is a brief overview of my notes. It's funny, but the archaeologists portrayed in the film actually were wearing boots, wide brimmed hats, and khaki clothing. Perhaps some hint of facial hair or broad chests with hair.

Atlantis Movie Notes

- opening scene (flashback) - hierarchy already established (Your Highness)

+ blue dramatic lights emphasize water theme of Atlantis

+ foreign names + dress

+ weird flying contraptions, advanced technology

+ dramatic, watery "end" to Atlantis

- Washington D.C. 1914

- Milo Thatch - main character. wire rimmed glasses, khaki colored clothing, "nutty professor" type of personality, young.

+ speaking to fake audience, enhances sense of nuttiness

+ cartographer and linguist

- Egypt already mentioned, picture of Sphinx and pyramids.

- mission already established: find Atlantis and bring its power source up.

- photo of young Milo with grandfather - grandfather as explorer hat, spectacles, facial hair, khaki clothing

- setting - museum with bones (typical)

- museum owner's disbelief/lack of trust in archaeological legends/myths

+ chasing fairy tales

+ "expedition" mentioned

- Helga Sinclair - romantic/mysterious character. Employer is a mysterious Mr. Whitmore.

+ offered undercover job

- The Shepherds Journal - key to finding lost continent of Atlantis

- Crew - Gautan Moliere (geology + excavation), Vincenzo Santorini (explosives + demolition, busted out of prison), Audrey Ramirez (chief mechanic)

+ eccentric characters

- travel in high tech ship (contrary to articles read, milo + crew have all advanced technologies on their journey)

- "whiskey" already mentioned - drinking factor

- adventurous music accompanies the entire film

...

There are more, but the beginning of the movie really captured so many archaeological stereotypes wonderfully. The rest of the movie is a whirl of adventure, suspense, romance, and betrayal. All in the life of an archaeologist, of course!

4

Probably leaning towards an animated portrayal of ancient/lost civilization. "The Road to El Dorado"? "Atlantis: The Lost Empire"? I figure that since so much time and thought are put into completely re-creating a lost civilization from scratch in animation, it's really a great way to analyze what the entertainment industry truly wants depicted to the public. If not these movies, it'd be fun to investigate an old, old movie centered around the exotic aura surrounding the archaeological world! We'll see.

3

To compliment the last post, I'm sitting here in my dorm doing some random Internet searching and found myself looking at the Chaco Canyon again, and now "archaeoastronomy". I may have uncovered a new interest, so be on the look out for more info/observations on it...

2

How great was tonight's film, "The Mystery of Chaco Canyon"? Accented by mystifying background music and all (to enhance our experience, of course), I thought it was incredibly intriguing. I always just figured, oh, there's some kind of relation between astronomy and ancient civilizations which I'm not very interested in. However, the attention to the great powers of the Sun and the Moon is what really caught my attention. The precision in which these ceremonial buildings were built in accordance to the phases of celestial bodies was surprising. I have to admit, I don't give people of the past much credit. I understand why someone would continue to return to that canyon for research; it seemed like there was something new to discover every time about those buildings and roads. It's amazing how humanity has, since very early on, been able to give order to our Earth and space, our universe, by utilizing physical objects, buildings, the Chaco Canyon, to map out nature's course, day and night, solstices' and all.

So, here are some notes I took for the first set of readings. Just some things to record for use later on. Each article encompasses the overarching theme of the public's misunderstanding of what an archaeologist looks like/does, etc.:

Metaphors We Dig By, DeBoer:

- stereotypical image of an archaeologist, drawings

- therefore, the general public does not know much about the job of an archaeologist or anthropologist

Popular Culture and Archaeology, Holtorf:

- archaeology largely perceived in flattering terms in pop. culture

- adventurer, detective, profound revelations, taking care of ancient sites and finds

- exotic lands

- indiana jones - most enduring image of an archaeologist

- core of discipline - archaeological fieldwork

+ can be adventurous

- D theme - professional detectives of the past

+ "sherlock holmes" cliche

- correspondence between criminology or scholarship and archaeology

- a messiah - R Theme

- C theme - archaeologists have become the heritage police

- vulnerable romantic

- what matters most are various aspects of the process of doing archaeology, not the actual results

Digging Holes in Popular Culture, Russell:

- archaeologists are obsessed with context

- pop. culture stereotypes, especially TV

1) mad archaeologist who will unleash curse

2) archaeologist driven by a personal greed

3) gun-toting hero motivated by great discovery

4) plain, comical academic

- archaeologist - adventurer, mild eccentric

- archaeologist as intrepid explorer

- nutty professor

- tomb raiders, doom bringer, villians

- pop. culture archaeologist suffers from a sever lack of modern technology

- weapons + alcohol

- 98% of population does not encounter an archaeologist and therefore cannot defeat the stereotypical image

The Celluloid Archaeologist, Membury:

- celluloid archaeologists - resolute character who challenges evil, romantic, a dark past

- fascination with Egypt

- man obsessed with work, to distraction

- young celluloid archaeologist - unwitting hero, romance, combat supernatural powers

- old archaeologist - unflappable eccentric

- The Mummy

- preoccupation with treasure

- Aborigines as lower life forms

- early female celluloid archaeologist as a sympathetic suffragette figure

+ honey trap for heroic men

- early 19th century - golden age in archaeology

- conclusion: modern image is chivalrous individual with a strong moral sense willing to break professional code, on a quest

Romancing the Stones, Hall:

- portrayals unsatisfactory but positive conclusion to understand narrative drive of pop. fiction

- popular film is a dialogue

- what it means to be human

+ making past familiar in terms of human behavior

- ignore deeper concerns about archaeology

- Western culture, imperialism

- some culture mentioned (in comparison to Western presence)

Now in quest for a movie to investigate!

1

After the first set of readings, I can just imagine a bunch of archaeologists holding flaming torches, pitchforks (or archaeological tools, to be fair), and signs saying "No more Indiana Jones!". I do feel bad.