Schedule

WEEK 1 (9/2)

  • Introduction to the Class

WEEK 2 (9/7 & 9/9)

  • What is Science Anyway?
  • What is Archaeology?
  • What is Pseudoarchaeology?
  • Motivations for Making a Pseudoarchaeology Claim?
  • Opinion vs. Fact, Theory vs. Opinion, Idea vs. Theory
  • When archaeologists say “we don’t know,” it doesn’t mean that the pseudoarchaeological idea is validated.

Readings

  • Cornelius Holtorf, Beyond Crusades: How (Not) to Engage with Alternative Archaeologies, World Archaeology (2005) [read]
  • Garrett G. Fagan and Kenneth L. Feder, Crusading against Straw Men: An Alternative View of Alternative Archaeologies: Response to Holtorf, World Archaeology (2005) [read]
  • Kenneth L. Feder, Irrationality and Popular Archaeology, American Antiquity (1984) [read]
  • Michael G. Michlovic, Folk Archaeology in Anthropological Perspective, Current Anthropology (1990) [read]
  • John R. Cole, Kenneth L. Feder, Francis B. Harrold, Raymond A. Eve, Alice B. Kehoe, On Folk Archaeology in Anthropological Perspective, Current Anthropology (1990) [read]

Assignments

  • Post #1 Due by 5pm on Sunday (9/12)
  • Post Prompt: What’s the harm in believing pseudoscientific or non-scientific claims about the world (in general) and the human past/archaeology (in particular)

WEEK 3 (9/14 & 9/16)

  • The Cardiff Giant: Anatomy of an Archaeological Hoax
  • The Piltdown Man Hoax (plus recent developments!)
  • Giants!

Readings

  • The Discovery of Ancient Man in Sussex, The British Medical Journal (1912) [read]
  • George Grant MacCurdy, The Man of Piltdown, American Anthropologist (1914) [read]
  • William L. Straus, The Great Piltdown Hoax, Science (1954) [read]
  • E. A. Hooton, Comments on the Piltdown Affair, American Anthropologist (1954) [read]
  • Chris Stringer, The 100-year mystery of Piltdown Man, Nature (2012) [read]

Assignments

  • Post #2 Due by 5pm on Friday (9/17)
  • Post Prompt: The Cardiff Giant and the Piltdown Man hoaxes were similar in that both related to archaeology and the study of human prehistory. However, they were quite different in temrs of motives, the reasons for their success, and their impacts. Compare the motives for these two hoaxes. What were the goals of the hoaxers? Compare the reasons each was successful. Why did people want to believe them? Compare the impacts of the Cardiff Giant and Piltdown hoaxes on the scientific understanding of the human past. In terms of both hoaxes, which of these two implications do you agree with, and why: (1) both hoaxes show that even “objective” scientists cannot be trusted to apply a skeptical eye to data when those data fulfill their expectations and desires; (2) both hoaxes exemplify the self-corrective nature of science.

WEEK 4 (9/21 & 9/23)

  • Pre-columbian Contact and Settlement of North America
  • The Case of Lanse-Aux-Medows
  • Television: America Unearthed (Stonehenge in America)

Readings

Optional Readings

WEEK 5 (9/28 & 9/30)

Readings

WEEK 6 (10/5 & 10/7)

Because the heat is broken in our classroom (as per the email send out on 10/4), this week is going to be virtual/asynchronous. Link to this week’s lecture can be found here. Link to the additional episode of Ancient Aliens can be found here.

  • Setting the Stage for Ancient Astronauts
  • Henri Lhote, Matest Agrest, and the Early Believers
  • Erich von Däniken and his Chariots
  • Ancient Astronauts Post von Däniken

Readings

Assignments

  • Post #3 Due by 5pm on Sunday (10/10)
  • Post Prompt: Using a deductive approach, how would you test the following hypothesis: The prehistoric record contains evidence of enormous and unexpected leaps forwars in science and technology (agriculture, pyramid building writing, and so on). These leaps are evidence of the introduction of such innovations by extra terrestrial aliens. In addition, deconstruct one of the cases outlined in either Ancient Astronautsor Chariots of the Gods. Are there archaeological, cultural, or historic explanations (Occams Razor) for them (as opposed to the extraterretrial explanations advanced by von Daniken et al.)

WEEK 7 (10/12 & 10/14)

  • This week you’re going to have a workshop on the digital tools and techniques you will use to build the Pseudoarchaeology Wiki Article (fakearchaeology.wiki).  These tutorials will take place in LEADR (Old Hort 112) – http://leadr.msu.edu/.  The workshop will be during the regular class time.

Assignments

  • Email Fake wiki article topic choice to Ethan by Friday, 5pm. If you don’t, you will be arbitrarily assigned a topic (and you’ll have to visit the Assignment page to find out what you’ve been assigned.

WEEK 8 (10/19 & 10/21)

  • Film: Chariots of the Gods

WEEK 9 (10/26 & 10/28)

  • 10/26 – No class, fall break
  • 10/28 – Midterm Exam

WEEK 10 (11/2 & 11/4)

  • Lost Continents & Sunken Civilizations: The Origins of Atlantis
  • Ignatius Donnelly and the Modern Origins in the Atlantis Myth
  • Atlantis after Donnelly: Edgar Cayce
  • Atlantis and the Theosophists

Watch

Readings

WEEK 11 (11/9 & 11/11)

  • Open lab time in LEADR all week.  These will take place during regular class times.  So, if you need help working on your project, you need to take advantage of this time.  I will be there to help out with any problems.  Even if you don’t have any significant issues, it would be really strategic to take advantage of this time to work on your portion of the project.

Assignments

WEEK 12 (11/16 & 11/18) – Virtual Lecture Week

  • Pseudoarchaeology and Nationalism (watch)
  • Pseudoarchaeology & Religion (watch)

Readings

  • Mary Lefkowitz, Archaeology and the Politics of Origins: the search for pyramids in Greece  [read]
  • Bettina Arnold, Pseudoarchaeology and Nationalism: Essentializing Difference  [read]
  • Arnold, Bettina “The past as propaganda: How Hitler’s archaeologists distorted European prehistory to justify racist and territorial goals.” Archaeology July/Aug 1992: 30-37 [read]
  • Hale, Christopher. Himmler’s Crusade: The Nazi Expedition to Find the Origins of the Aryan Race, Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2003, p. 200 [read]

Assignments

  • Bonus: Upload a full rough draft of your fakearchaeology.wiki article by 5pm on Monday (11/19)for review and feedback, and receive a 5% bonus on your final class grade. It order to receive the bonus, you must add the (draft) article to the wiki and email Ethan to let him know its been added (include a link to your article in the email).

WEEK 13 (11/23 & 11/25)

  • No class, enjoy your Thanksgiving break

 WEEK 14 (11/30 & 12/2)

  • The Pyramidiots
  • Faber, Wilson, Taylor, and Smyth: The 19th Century Pyramidiots
  • The Atlantean Pyramidiots
  • The Age of the Sphinx: Geology and the Orion Correlation “Theory”
  • Pyramids in the Arctic, Pyramids on Mars, Pyramids in Bosnia

Assignments

  • Post #4 Due by 5pm on Sunday (12/5)
  • Post Prompt: Test the following hypothesis: Pyramid building was introduced into Egypt either by aliens or citizens of Atlantis (or some other super advanced lost civilization). What should the archaeological record look like if this hypothesis is an accurate description of Egyptian history. What does the archaeological record actually show regarding the history of pyramid construction in Egypt.  Apply the same hypothesis testing process to Atlantis: Atlantis was a super advanced civilization that existed ca. 10,000 years ago from which the Maya and ancient Egyptians defused.  What should the archaeological record look like if this is indeed the case? What does the historical and archaeological record shout about the rise and development of these iconic state level civilizations?

Readings

WEEK 15 (12/7 & 12/9)

  • Mysticism, Esoterica, and the Curse of the Mummy
  • Why should we care about pseudoarchaeology (revisited)
  • Pseudoarchaeology and professional archaeological ethics

Readings

Assignments

  • Post #5 Due by 5pm on Sunday (12/12)
  • Prompt: Is it the professional responsibility of all archaeologists to confront and counteract pseudoarchaeology and pseudoarchaeologists (either generally or in their particular area)?  If yes, why?  If no, why not?  If yes, how should the archaeological community (and individual archaeologists) go about confronting and counteracting pseudoarchaeology and pseudoarchaeoloigsts?
  • Pseudoarchaeology Wiki Article due (Friday by 5pm).  To submit, send an email to Ethan with topic and link to article.

FINAL  EXAM WEEK

  • Take-home Final Exam Due December 15th before 5pm.
  • Bonus Post Due December 13th before 5pm (no reply required)
  • Bonus Prompt: Select and discuss/deconstruct a pseudoarchaeological case or theme that we did not talk about in class.  How does the case/theme fit into the pseudoarchaeological landscape that we discussed over the semester.  Include at least 2 sources.