The purpose of this 3-page paper is to evaluate how well archaeologist characters from popular movies adhere to the proper techniques of archaeology as taught in this class. Watch one of the major Hollywood movies in which the main character is portrayed as an archaeologist (e.g., Indiana Jones, Lara Croft’s Tomb Raider, Stargate) and pay special attention to the way the main character portrays being an archaeologist. Are his/her actions accurate and reflect what you learned, or do they provide a biased perspective? Make sure to use plenty of examples from class to support your points.
Evaluation and Grade: Points will be assessed as follows, with up to 75 points possible. MAKE SURE
TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THESE WHEN WRITING.
1) Address the following and in doing so present a critical analysis that explains how the main
character(s) does or does not accurately reflect what archaeologists really do as learned through this class
(55 points, 73.3%)
• Describe the main character and his/her actions, both in doing archaeology and in the action of the story
• Does the main character represent a “Hollywood stereotype” or could her/his actions be realistic given the character’s time and place?
• Is the main character following/using basic archaeological skills? Is she/he concerned with preserving sites and cultural materials? Are his/her actions ethical?
2) Clearly use ideas or examples from the Kelly/Thomas text, lectures, and/or documentary films seen in class to support your points.
