Archaeology in Popular Culture

Catalog description

The public’s enduring interest in archaeology means that the discipline has interfaced with the media since the advent of mass media. The seminar explores how archaeology and its practitioners have been represented by various media outlets through time and in reference to major political and cultural events. We will also explore the tension between archaeologists as experts and media representations of their ideas and work, taking a critical lens to different television programs presented as non-fiction to general audiences. The course will involve weekly scholarly readings, in addition to watching & reading media from popular culture sources. Class meetings will be structured discussions based on the daily topic.