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| Yes | 17% | 83 votes | Total: 475 votes | |
| No | 83% | 392 votes |
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Add to FavoritesIndiana Jones is bad for archeology in the respect that he represents an era when rampant thievery, destruction of delicate artifacts and archeological sites, along with a complete lack of respect for the governments and peoples of many nations resulted in nothing less than looting that went on during the entire time of British and other countries occupations of third world countries.
There was a bottomless greed, not just for the monetary gain from the looted artifacts, but for the benefits of claiming ownership and of those artifacts. Great Britain was overcome during the era represented in the Indiana Jones series, with an additional greed: to take, protect, horrifically waste, and to properly study the great works of other men and women.
In one art class, there was an urban myth about a beautiful watercolor called "Mummy Green". Sales dropped precipituously when the word went out that the pigment came from real, ground up mummies. It is not known whether this was true or not.
There was racial confusion in the Indiana Jones films in that no significant number of Black people are represented in countries where they were quite plentiful at the time. If Nubians occupied part of Egypt at one point, and Louis Gossett, Jr. could portray Anwar Sadat, the president of Egypt, then don't we think that there would have been more dark skinned people at least doing hard labor at archeological digs, or in the streets of major cities?
While the Indiana Jones films inspired a generation of students to explore the field, the inspiration was based on a cartoon character's approach to adventure and heroic accomplishments. Of course, high school and college students are smart enough to realize that the "real thing" in archeology is far less exciting and definitely no where near as glamorous as depicted in the films, but smaller children have trouble separating the facts from the fiction. They have no idea of the vast majority of hours spent in back rooms and laboratories, or of studying the driest of details about the artifacts of mankind and how they relate to the nature of human interactions throughout history.
As a result, the fictional character, Indiana Jones, represented the good, the bad, and the downright ugly about past activities and conduct by the archeological community, but did not present a realistic and encouraging set of truths about the importance of archeological finds that are not possessed of mythical powers, brilliant value, or incredible rarity. The films did not pay respect to the advancements that have been made in protecting archeological sites, and in being forced to respect the rights of other countries to keep, study, store and maintain their own historical treasures. Granted, at the time, most historical treasures were not well preserved or even well treated, but as countries of origin developed, so did their institutions for conserving and protecting natural and cultural resources.
Learn more about this author, Elizabeth M. Young.
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No
I hold a Bachelors degree in Anthropology from one of the best schools in North America. I can honestly say that if not for Indiana Jones I would not have that degree. I am proud to hold that degree. Indiana Jones may have influenced my decision to go after that degree, but an inborn love of history and realizing that it can be tangible is what made me obtain the degree.
From a young age I was raised with Indiana Jones and his adventures. I watched the movies enrapted by ther adventure, and sucked into history. I thought at first that being an archaeologist meant a life of adventure, but it did not take too long to realize that it was more book and research oriented.
This did nothing to dampen my interest however. The trap had been set and a career in Archeaology was what I wanted. I did all the course work and got to hear of teachers first hand experiences while on site. While on a dig the crazy things that would happen. The joy of a discovery. Funny stories from archaeologists in the past. The brain storming involved in deciphering ancient symbols, artifacts, and ruins.
Archeaology became more interesting than an adventure. It became a puzzle to solve on a historical level. It became a way to understand our past, why we do the things we do, and essentially where we come from. It became a whole new way of looking at and understanding the world.
While fedoras, whips, and bomber jackets might not be the tools of the trade. Intelligence, creativity, puzzle solving, libraries, exotic locations, and a good sense of humor are. To have a career in the field of Anthropology, no matter the reason you may have entered it, you need to love history, research, and puzzles.
That love of history is evident in the Indiana Jones movies. In the first three, there is adventure, but if there wasnt would we like the movies? Probably not. However by mixing in adventure, mystery, bad guys, and quips, we also got a taste of history. That is what Indiana Jones is really about. Teaching the audience a love of history, and most importantly not to take themselves too seriously.
I know several people from the program I was in all had the same story. We went into Anthropology because of Indiana Jones. We stayed in Anthropology because we developed a true love of history. That is why Indiana Jones is good for Archaeology. He teaches, as do the movies, to love history and respect it. What better lesson to teach an individual than to look at history and learn from it?
Learn more about this author, S.A.Robb.
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