Digging Holes in Popular Culture: Archaeology and Science Fiction (Bournemouth University School of Conservation Sciences, Occasional Paper) [Paperback]

Miles Russell (Editor), Douglas Adams (Contributor)

Book Description

Series: Bournemouth University School of Conservation Sciences, Occasional Paper | Publication Date: April 2002

What would Howard Carter have thought of Lara Croft? and why do archaeologists feature so prominently in Star Trek? Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy writes the preface to this 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. At times hilarious, these papers nevertheless address serious cultural issues relevant to archaeology today: colonialism, the indigenous voice, gender roles, objectivity, and ownership of the past.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Oxbow Books (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842170635
• ISBN-13: 978-1842170632
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,782,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Miles Russell is a senior lecturer in prehistoric and Roman archaeology in the School of Applied Sciences at Bournemouth University in the UK, with 30 years experience of archaeological fieldwork and publication. He has worked as a field officer and project manager for the UCL Field Archaeology Unit, the Oxford Archaeological Unit and Bournemouth Archaeology on sites across southern Britain, Wales, the Isle of Man, Germany, Sicily and Russia. Miles is a regular contributor to television and radio. His most recent appearances being in Time Team, Timewatch, The Seven Ages of Britain and Mysteries in the Landscape. He is the author of ten books, including Piltdown Man, Flint Mines of Neolithic Britain, Monuments of the British Neolithic, Rough Quarries Rocks and Hills, Prehistoric Sussex, Roman Sussex, Digging Holes in Popular Culture: Archaeology and Science Fiction, Bloodline: the Celtic Kings of Roman Britain, and (with Stuart Laycock) UnRoman Britain: Exposing the Great Myth of Britannia.