It is, without a doubt, absolutely the responsibility of professional archaeologists to confront pseudoarchaeological claims and thoughts that exist. Pseudoarchaeological thought is dangerous, even when it seems harmless. While it’s easier to just push people off as crackhead theorists or crazy alien believers, all this does is worsen the issue. It is very, very easy for the public to gain access to these theories. Not only is it easy to find on television at any given time with all of the History channel’s… interesting programs, but it is also very easy to find information on the internet. When doing research for my wiki, it was by far easier to find random theories on the internet about the site than it was to find actual archaeological evidence. Not to mention that, to the general public, these pseudoarchaeological claims are probably more interesting than the information we give out as archaeologists. It’s easier for people to listen to someone say “it was aliens!!!” than listen to a factual archaeological lecture or read a paper on the topic that is full of vernacular only known by those in the field. In terms of how to combat the issue, there are a few options. Of course, the number one option is pure education. We as archaeologists need to look at the issues, and one of those is that sometimes our topics and answers are boring. There has to be a way to start portraying factual information in a way that anyone can understand without a degree in archaeology. In one of the assigned readings for this week, the one by Donald Holly, he talks about how the community needs to start writing books for the public again, and this is something I agree with. Even as an archaeologist, it can be difficult to read articles and books in the discipline. In looking for ideas on how to educate the public, I called my mother, because even though she likes to listen to me rant about archaeology and intensely factual things, has basically no idea what I’m talking about. Her input was that television shows would be a very good place of education, but that it can’t just be plain spouted facts. She said that it needs “a story that people can follow, something that shows how the people did it and how the artifacts were used then.” And I agree with her. While there are documentaries out there about archaeology, they are often dry and uninspired. If we want to get in on the Ancient Aliens territory, we need to get on their level. Make shows of interest to the layman, not just archaeologists. Something else crucial is that we can’t just brush these claims off anymore; it only fuels their fire. We must educate, we must explain, and we must help people understand. Only professional archaeologists can truly help end it.