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ARCH 666
Cult Archaeology:
Fantastic Frauds and Meaningful Myths of the Past

FINAL EXAM (See also Banner):  MAY 18, 2pm.  

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Why does archaeology—which can be defined as the exploration of human history through the study of physical objects made and used by people in the past—inspire endless theories about aliens, lost civilizations, dark conspiracies, apocalyptic predictions, and mysterious technologies?

While archaeological investigation is in many ways about solving ancient “mysteries,” and while archaeologists do sometimes get chased through the jungle by killer bees and crawl around in caves in the desert, archaeology is, first and foremost, a social science grounded in rigorous methodologies, careful accumulation and analysis of data, and scientific method.  So where do the aliens and other ideas come from?  Why do they gain such enormous popularity?  It can’t all be Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code…  This course seeks to answer these questions and introduce students to the (exciting!) realities of archaeology by exploring the weird wide world of “cult archaeology,” also known as pseudo, fantastic—or as we will sometimes call it—wackadoo archaeology.  We will investigate the origins of so-called alternative archaeological theories, look at the types of “evidence” used to create them, and examine the reasons and rationales that lead people to invent, disseminate, and believe them.  From the lost city of Atlantis to alien astronauts to the idea that we are all descended from a mysterious ancient Antarctican civilization, we will explore the many different forms of cult archaeology and its impacts on society and history.

Why go through the trouble to learn about cult archaeology when the short answer to all of this is no, aliens did not build the pyramids (etc.)?  Because alternative archaeology is not only a source of entertaining websites and goofy reenactments.  It can and has been used in much more powerful, and sometimes sinister, ways to influence modern ideas about the past and the present. The use and misuse of archaeology and history has supported nationalistic agendas, racial biases, and religious movements, which can have huge impacts on society. By looking at archaeological ideas—especially the wacky ones—we can also learn a great deal about our more recent past and how modern thinking has informed and is informed by ancient history.

The goals of this course are to provide students with a wide-ranging introduction to archaeological methods and scientific inquiry through the entertaining lens of cult archaeology. Students will develop critical thinking skills and analytical tools to evaluate evidence and “diagnose” pseudoarchaeology and pseudoscience when they see it—skills that will be useful to them throughout their academic career.  This course also seeks to engage students with larger questions about uses and meanings of history and the evolution of political and religious ideologies that are built on historical and archaeological ideas.  Along the way, students will learn about who really did build the pyramids, what happened to Atlantis, and if the world will end in 2012….

Class Meetings: 
MWF 1:00-1:50, List Art Center, Room 120

Instructor: Michelle Berenfeld [email]
Office Hours:  Wednesdays, 3-5pm (or by appointment).  Rhode Island Hall, Room 009

Teaching Assistants:
Claudia Moser [email] Office Hours: Thursdays, 11:00am-12:00pm and Fridays, 2-3pm
Sarah Dawson [email] Office Hours: Wednesdays, 2-4pm
Barbara Blythe [email protected] Office Hours: Tuesdays 12:00-2:00

View the course calendar with readings (password protected).

Download a printable syllabus: 0666 CultArchaeologySyllabus.pdf 

For PDFs of the PowerPoints for each lecture: Class Images (PDFs)