Digging Holes in Popular Culture
Archaeology and Science Fiction
Miles Russell(Editor)
Oxbow Books (Publisher)
Published on 18. January 2002
Book
Paperback/Softback
193 pages
978-1-84217-063-2 (ISBN)
Description
What would Howard Carter have thought of Lara Croft? and why do archaeologists feature so prominently in Star Trek? This is an unusual collection of papers dedicated to exploring the role of the archaeologist in popular culture. The cliches and stereotypes of archaeology that abound in popular culture, the sense of mystery and adventure, the excitement generated by a dangerous treasure hunt or a thrilling detective story, rarely hint at the monotonous hours spent by modern archaeologists researching in laboratories and libraries and filling out paperwork. Yet the role-models provided by fictional characters such as Dr Who, Indiana Jones, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Lara Croft have had a powerful influence on how archaeologists and the practices of archaeology are viewed by the general public. These papers address serious cultural issues relevant to archaeology in the 21st century: colonialism, the indigenous voice, gender roles, objectivity, and "ownership" of the past.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
b/w pls and figs
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 170 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84217-063-2 (9781842170632)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
edited by Miles Russell, with a preface by Douglas Adams