(no subject)

[tree_and_leaf]

Apparently the Archaeological Institute of America has appointed Harrison Ford to its board, because Indy has done so much to promote archaeology

Hum. I love Indy, really I do; but there are moments when his excavation technique makes me feel ill, and I'm a strictly armchair archaeologist... (anyway, I still think his father's the better scholar!)

Had a longer post, but LJ's eaten it - or rather, it's the modem's fault; it's not working properly, probably as a result of the enormous storm we had last night, including hail. Oh well; I did get a rough draft of the paper done, at least!

Comments

[rivrea.livejournal.com]

Excavation technique? Graverobbery would probably be the better expression. I suppose the AIA was simply suffering from a distinct lack of coolness factor (because what Indy lacks in scholarship he makes up for in sheer entertainment value).

[tree_and_leaf]

As various people point out in canon...

It's funny, really - when I think of showbiz connections to British archaology, I think of Baldric!

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

Erm- what excavation technique would that be then?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Rip out everything that can be moved, shoot anything that gets in your way, and pay no attention whatsoever to such minor matters as stratigraphy, condition, and site history. In real life, I think that sort of thing went out with Lord Elgin.

[tree_and_leaf]

To be fair to Lord Elgin, as I understand it, he at least generally asked the locals first (not much of an improvement, but still an improvement).

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I can't remember where, but I know that in the last few months I left a comment in one of my friends' LJ stating as a certain fact that any self-respecting archaeologist would turn Jones in to the local authorities for graverobbbing, smuggling, various kinds of violent behaviour - and THEN would begin the real punishment by means of articles in learned periodicals. When you think of the vocabulary used for JAS Macalister's digs in Palestine - which were at least honest archaeology - you must realize that the capacity of otherwise mild and laborious archaeologists for invective where their specialism is concerned is amazing. At any rate, I also hate the movies.

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

Oh I would believe you- I've heard archaeologists get going on the subject of metal detectorists in the bad old days.

[tree_and_leaf]

I like the movies - but they're comic strips; they bear as much reference to archaeology as Punch and Judy does to marriage guidance.

[caulkhead.livejournal.com]

I take it you've not seen the response to Dr Jones' application for tenure, then?

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2006/10/10bryan.html

[tree_and_leaf]

I have, actually - it's extremely amusing!

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

Given the truly apalling nature of the hangovers both my husband and I have suffered following drinking sessions with archaeologists (and my husband is a master brewer for goodness sake!) I'm a little surprised as to the objections to drunkenness...

[tree_and_leaf]

Puritan college? But you're right - it certainly wouldn't count against him in most academic establishments (especially as from what I remember, he can actually hold his drink pretty well' I think the one time we actually see him genuinely drunk is when he thinks Marion's dead, isn't it?)

[owl]

Yeah, I was thinking along those lines in the film.

[tree_and_leaf]

Another rare site bites the dust...

[caulkhead.livejournal.com]

I suppose it could have been worse. They might have appointed Lara Croft.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Why stop there? How about Tia Carrere as "Relic hunter"? If you set out to do a thing, you might as well do it thoroughly.

[tree_and_leaf]

Who? Sorry, means nothing to me....

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

It was sort of like a low budget TV show made in the mold of the Indiana Jones movies.

It could be fun, and the best thing I'll say for it was that they called what the characters did "relic hunting" rather than archaeology. It seemed to exist in a parallel universe where universities awarded degrees for Jonesian "archaeology" under that name.

It was never explained if regular archaeology also existed, or if less-reknowned relic hunters eked out meagre livings surveying properties for traps and cursed objects before housing estates and shopping malls were built on them.

[tree_and_leaf]

That does sound like it has the potential to be fun, actually....

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I thought it was fun, for what it's worth. Admittedly, I tend to give it a fair number of bonus points for having an attractive lead and not calling tomb robbing by the name of archaeology.

If you can find it on late night television and have nothing else to do and no reason to go to bed, it might be worth taking a look at.

If I ever felt like writing fanfic for it, I'd probably write about the less glamourous lives of ordinary relic hunters doing cultural resource management relic hunting. ;-)

[tree_and_leaf]

True. Funny that the most obvious British candidate for a similar role would be Tony Robinson!

[dameboudicca.livejournal.com]

'Oh, you're an archaeologist? Like Indiana Jones? Where is your whip?'
(Actually said to me once at a party - but it's not as hilarious as: 'Archaeologist? I wanted to be that too when I was a kid [standard phrase from any one who hears my profession, btw]! I so wanted to dig up dinosaur bones!')

[tree_and_leaf]

Yes, a whip's so useful for excavation!

At the risk of falling into the sterotype, I went through phases of wanting to be an archaeologist and a paleologist as a child - but I always knew the difference!