Weirding Archaeology: Exploring the Popular Perception of Archaeology

Catalog description

Instructional Method: Three hours lecture. Prerequisites: ANSC 301 . Archaeology? It’s all about lost cities, treasures, and a stylish hat, right? This course will explore how the public perception of a scientific discipline has become entangled with pulp fiction adventure heroes, legends of sunken continents, and esoteric religious beliefs. Students will explore the original lost city legends that began when Europeans arrived in the Americas, the growth and influence of Free Masonry on American’s visions of the ancient world, the spread of esoteric spiritualities focused on ancient wisdom traditions, and finally how pop culture has adapted these ideas to present the ancient world as a place of mystery and adventure. REAL Area A Note(s): Cultural and Behavioral Analysis designated course.