Why Indiana Jones is the best and worst thing to happen to archaeology

Why Indiana Jones is the best and worst thing to happen to archaeology

When Egyptian archaeologists announced the discovery of a “lost golden city” near Luxor, Egypt, in 2021, headlines erupted around the world: Treasure. Revelation. A once-in-a-century find. For archaeologists, however, the most notable feature was not the gold that had yet to materialise, but how quickly the story became framed as adventure. Years of survey, stratigraphic mapping and ceramic analysis barely registered. Archaeology is one of the r…