Archaeologists in Popular Culture

How are you going about investigating the image of archaeology in popular culture?

I make intensive field visits to promising places in the three chosen countries (e.g. Berlin in Germany, Birka and Visby in Sweden, York in the U.K.) and collect evidence in an ethnographic kind of way. I also use the Internet to scan TV programmes etc, and read a Swedish press service every week. There are also many helpful colleagues around the world who have read about my project and send me suggestions for novels to read or films to watch... Maybe next year I will also be able to run a questionnaire past a representative sample of Swedes but that is still uncertain!

How are you going to evaluate the effects of these pop images on cultural heritage?

Well, I try to base all my discussion on first hand experience of pop culture, and that means I have got my own ideas about what I like for what reasons, not the least from comparing so many examples. In addition, or where first-hand experience is not possible, I read widely in the academic literature and consider the arguments published there. But I also get email messages from colleagues who have interesting arguments regarding any particular aspect of the popular image of archaeology and I consider them, too. In the end I do not plan to come up with a single, 'definitive' answer but with a broad discussion presenting all the major relevant arguments.

Would you like people to write you with ideas for pop culture depictions?

Yes please. I am especially keen to hear about unusual depictions that are not Indy or Lara Croft-like. Does not matter where they are from. I would also like to hear how people think these depictions should be judged in the light of what they think archaeology's and arch heritage management's aims are. Particularly welcome are very strong opinions, or recommendations for where I might find them.

Dr. Holtorf may be contacted at cornelius.holtorf@raa.se

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