As we discussed in class, it is the responsibility of archaeologists to counter the spread of pseudoarchaeological ideation and misinformation. Scientists have an inherent responsibility to seek the truth and share their discovery in order to deepen the world’s pool of knowledge. Therefore, pseudoscience should always be something a scientist strives to correct. Having declared all that, I realize it is not so simple as it sounds.
One of the biggest, if not the biggest, questions regarding the responsibility of archaeologists in debunking the pseudarchaeological is: how? Shows like Ancient Aliens are massive, they reach the public easily, and are (to some people) entertaining. It seems easier for pseudoarchaeologists to reach the public with their “regular joe schmoe scientist who isn’t like other scientists because they believe the Truth is out there” image. As we learned in this course, pseudoarchaeologists carved a space for themselves in the public eye as a wacky but reliable source of information by taking advantage of the public’s disenfranchisement with the scholarly community. This makes it difficult for real archaeologists to correct their claims without coming across as elitist or even conspiratorial.
So, what to do then?
Public outreach is an important part of archaeology. With so many movies, tv shows, books, media in general, portraying archaeology as everything but the study of human history, correcting the misrepresentation of the field is vital. Even the littlest of steps can make a difference. During the fieldschool this past summer, people would stop by the excavation site to ask if we were digging for treasure, looking for bodies, digging up mummies, and it was all light-hearted fun but more than that it was curiosity. Having a chance to speak to even a few people about what a historical site means and what the findings can do to further our understanding of MSU history made a difference, even a small one. Children also came by on school field trips and I think the kids learning what archaeology is really like is a massive step in debunking pseudoarchaeological claims. If kids understand the science behind archaeology, it could really make a huge difference in how critically the “science” in shows like Ancient Aliens is viewed.
There is no simple solution to combat archaeology’s nemesis, pseudoarchaeology. I think it’s important for archaeologists to take every opportunity they can to correct the spread of misinformation but to also be patient about it. Many people don’t see the harm in or mean any harm by watching shows like Ancient Aliens and leaning into their message. This class has given all of us the “tool kit” necessary to explain the issues with these ideas and we should use it but we should never be snooty or mean about it. If every archaeologist ever suddenly started rolling their eyes and calling ever fan of Ancient Aliens an idiot to their face, then we’d just be doing exactly what the pseudoarchaeological community said we would.
Information doesn’t belong to any individuals and I believe if archaeologists continue to share their discoveries and knowledge with the public, better relations can be fostered and misinformation can be debunked more easily. I don’t know if there is a solution to pseudoarchaeology but I do know we can all do our best to counter it in every little but impactful way we can.
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I really enjoyed your acknowledgment that the solution to combating pseudoarchaeology is extremely complex and that there is not necessarily a solution that will absolutely work. I agree that educating children on what archaeology is and what legitimate archaeological claims are can be helpful with limiting the number of people that immediately believe pseudoarchaeologist’s claims. With shows like Ancient Aliens, it is so easy for a young kid to turn on the tv and go to a channel that is directed towards them and teaching them information, and automatically believing everything that is being told to them. They do not know to not trust everything that is being told throughout these shows. Even though these shows are portrayed as factual and informational, they cannot be taken at face value. I think taking children to archaeological digs on school trips like you brought up is a great way to start this conversation about what archaeology is and how they should be taught about it. For me, I think an extremely important component in helping scholarly archaeologists combat pseudoarchaeology is having all of their research and findings easily accessible to the public. Often archaeologists struggle to find a way for the public to view and find their research. If archaeologists can make their research super accessible, in the same way that pseudoarchaeological claims are accessible, archaeologists can begin to combat this problem. If archaeologists can find a way to make their information public, they can take up the same amount of space as pseudoarchaeologists take-up in public media. I agree that every little step can be impactful. Anything that can be done, needs to be done.