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Addressing Pseudoarchaeological Claims, A Practical Guide (Eventually) - ArcheoThoughts
Addressing Pseudoarchaeological Claims, A Practical Guide (Eventually) - ArcheoThoughts
Addressing pseudoarchaeological
claims, a practical guide (eventually)
N o t e : F o r t h e pa s t f e w m o n t h s , a s I w o r k o n t h e m , I
have been posting sections of what will eventually be part of a collaborative
work on addressing pseudoarchaeology in the classroom, in public, and online.
As the text nears readiness, I will start assembling these pieces into rough drafts
of the main chunks, hopefully in some kind of logical order. As always I
welcome any and all feedback.
The message of my work on pseudoarchaeology for the past few years is simple:
Scolding the public for their interest in pseudoarchaeological claims is not
helpful. Telling people that we’re right because we’re archaeologists doesn’t
work. People are interested in pseudoarchaeological claims because they are
fundamentally interesting and exciting, for the same reason that science fiction is
interesting and exciting. Denying it is no use.
Some pseudoarchaeological claims are harmful, and some are intended to cause
harm. Some are ideologically motivated and calculated to reinforce racist and/or
classist conceptions. Some are merely commercially motivated and exploit those
currents without regard for the harm they may cause. Some are both. Some,
even, are simply misguided.
Where we don’t know, we have to let people feel our fascination with the
unknown, and let them discover the peace of mind that unadorned agnosticism
brings. Where we have evidence to reject a claim, or to solidify our confidence in
another, we have to show them the excitement of discovery. We shouldn’t tell
them what to think or believe. We should invite them to think with us, and to
form beliefs as a result, alongside us on our expeditions into the past.
How did we, individually and collectively, come to reject, or at least be critical of
pseudoarchaeological perspectives? How did we become concerned enough
about them to actively address them in public, in the classroom, and online in
our work, in our family networks, and in our daily life?
Outline
The first part of the booklet gives some prompts for us to think about our own
intellectual journey to an activist critique of pseudoarchaeology. I think this must
be done before we can effectively engage with the public, with our students,
colleagues, friends, and family.
Having made some sense of where we come from, I then get into practical
discussions of how to address pseudoarchaeology in the classroom, online, and
in public. These are often scenario based, and rooted in my personal experience
or that of colleagues. I do a couple of case studies, including a discussion of Rod
Serling’s 1973 In Search of Ancient Astronauts. Again, this is not a debunking
exercise, but rather a search for understanding.