Indiana Jones: Myth, Reality And 21st Century Archaeology

In the wake of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, the extent of a systematic campaign of mass exterminations was exposed by the United States and subsequent Iraqi authorities. Shortly after the occupation began, the Iraq Mass Graves Team (IMGT) was mobilized by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Regime Crimes Liaison Office in Baghdad to undertake a large-scale exhumation and forensic analysis mission. The objective was to collect evidence in support of the prosecutions of former regime leaders. The 2007-8 trial of Saddam Hussein was structured, in large part, by the results of those efforts. Our special guest, Dr. Michael (Sonny) Trimble was the project director for this effort and he provides his perspectives on the excavations, analyses, and ultimate disposition of the results of the campaign for the prosecution's case.

Our series on Archaeology and Relevance has unique applications to the very real issues of contemporary conflict and war. The 21st Century was ushered in by the horrific events of 9/11 in New York City. Subsequent disasters including the tsunami in the South Pacific and the London bombings drew the attention of archaeologists whose traditional and not-so traditional approaches offer unique perspectives for optimizing data recovery at disaster sites. Initiatives to examine the archaeology of Holocaust era concentration camps and mass graves in Eastern Europe and Iraq underscore the unique contributions that our field has to make in adapting site formation (and destruction) studies to locations that highlight the darkest side of the human condition. Our special guest is Dr. Richard Gould, Professor Emeritus of Archaeology at Brown University, who had the perspicacity to mobilize the first and only systematic excavations at the World Trade Center site immediately after the tragedy.

Dr. Schuldenrein is joined by SUNY-Stony brook professor Dr. Elizabeth Stone. With over 30 years of experience excavating and researching in and around Iraq, Dr. Stone is uniquely qualified to offer listeners an overview of one of humankind's first civilizations, Mesopotamia. This episode delves into current methodologies and emerging perspectives and includes a frank discussion of the realities of conducting research in a war zone.

With the exception of a not insignificant minority of revisionists and Holocaust deniers the record of this most tragic event in human history is extensively documented and well established. In recent years, however, archaeologists have begun to investigate what is left of the material record of the extermination centers. The reality is that the archaeological record is fragmentary and our knowledge of these centers is based on oral histories, maps and numerous written sources. Do we need to learn more? What can archaeology provide in terms of acquainting us with more detail and, perhaps more significantly, in learning about other sites of genocide whose records are even more fragmentary and unrecognized. Our special guest is Dr. Isaac Gilead, Professor of Archaeology at Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel. Dr. Gilead has been involved in the archaeology of the Nazi extermination centers at Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka and shares his experiences with the listenership.

Intensive archaeological surveys of The Ridges Basin Valley of Colorado has uncovered 70 new archaeological sites. These sites, mostly pre-contact settlements of the Pueblo I period (725-825 CE), have provided critical new information on urban organization and lifeways. The village of Sacred Ridge, the largest site found thus far in the region, appears to have been abruptly abandoned after a massacre. Analysis of the human remains of victims offers new hypotheses about war and conflict during the latter part of the first millennium AD. Join our host, Dr. Schuldenrein, and special guest and archaeologist, James Potter, as they discuss the Ridges Basin Valley Project and the roles of the media, Native Americans, and local communities in archaeological studies and outreach programs.

Our survey of the listenership has established the Human Origins theme as the most provocative and captivating area of archaeological research. It has also inspired some of the most controversial exchanges on our Social Media networks, drawing the attention of scientists and creationists alike. Today's topic provides an overview of the history of Human Origins research. We track developments in human evolutionary science beginning in the 19th century and culminating in human genetic research, now viewed as pivotal for explaining the evolutionary trajectory of the human form. Our very special guest is Dr. Geoff Clark, Regents' Professor at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University, will share with the host and listenership all the latest developments in the field of Human Origins research.

Past episodes have demonstrated that archaeology overlaps with broader questions of contemporary life. Our recent programs considered the obvious links between archaeology and religion as well as ethics. The question of evolution vs. creationism is an obvious arena in which the human fossil record can be drawn upon to question traditional Judaeo-Christian concepts of our origins. Religion is also not taboo, as archaeological remains of the Biblical period document a material culture consistent with Old and New Testament descriptions but cast doubt on the veracity of specific events and the identities of charismatic figures. Archaeology has also been swept up in political conflicts in a variety of places, scenarios, and venues. Findings have been used in situations ranging from local development conflicts (as a wedge pitting economic vs. preservation interests) to more global venues leading, in extreme cases, to outbreaks of wars and the destruction of cultures and populations.

Dr. Schuldenrein is joined by Dr. Joe Watkins, one of the foremost voices and leading advocates for indigenous and native affairs and involvement in American archaeology. Dr Watkins, a member of the Choctaw tribe of Oklahoma, reflects on the beginning of his career and his personal development as one of the only Native American Ph.D-holding archaeologists in the 1960s and 1970s. During his early days as an archaeologist, when native involvement in archaeology was in a very nascent form and there were no established career pathways for native archaeologists, Dr. Watkins carved out a career and a mission that has spanned decades. Join in as Drs. Schuldenrein and Watkins discuss the evolution of Native American involvement in archaeology and the increasing role native and indigenous rights are taking in the legal system of archaeology and historic preservation in North America.

Can the archaeological record be summoned to verify the stories of the Bible? Religious faith remains strong in many parts of the world and the foundations of Judeo-Christian theology are arguably gaining steam in many parts of the West (and East) as the economic downturn leaves many segments of the populations looking for answers to their economic woes. Does religion as refuge obfuscate the lessons of science and evolutionary thought? Are there grounds for overlap? Is there a logical foundation for Biblical tales that can be supported by scientific examination of archaeological sites and remains? We propose that there is a nexus between the two---faith and science---that is considerably more complex than extreme proponents of either side care to admit.

This week the host explores a true Indiana Jones theme, which fascinated not only scholars, but also the general public for centuries - the quest for discovery of the Tomb of Jesus. Since 1980s discoveries of a series of ossuaries buried beneath a condominium complex in Jerusalem have provoked controversy about the relationship between suspected remains of Jesus and their presumed placement by his early Christian followers. Ongoing explorations by filmmakers and scholars have revised interpretations and offer new perspectives on the Jesus story based on a variety of sources. Our guest this week is Dr. James Tabor, professor and chair of religious studies at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, who have been recently working on these tombs with the filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici using very specialized, custom-built high-tech cameras, which allowed to examine the tombs, ossuaries and everything associated with them without going into the tomb.

Advanced archaeological science techniques currently supplement traditional pedestrian survey and excavation. In the age of sustainability, supplementation may transform into displacement, as the accuracy of high tech mapping, remote sensing and sophisticated sampling turn out to be uniquely accurate and productive methods for discovering archaeological sites. Science provides efficiency for archaeological exploration at a time when budgets are tight, access to archaeological sites is limited by geo-political concerns, and the ability to mobilize large staffs and crews is restricted by both money and logistics. By the end of the 21st century archaeological practice will change significantly, de-emphasizing large scale excavations and highlighting the effectiveness of mapping and sub-surface exploration through geophysical survey and satellite mapping. Data base management and GIS platforms offer new ways for assimilating, analyzing and interpreting huge and diverse data sets.

The information age and the emergence of social networking have given archaeology an unprecedented public education platform. Our previous programs have underscored the difficulties that the professional community has in transmitting the message of archaeology to the public. We have also stressed the urgency of propounding this message, as funding from traditional venues dries up and the profession is increasingly dependent on the public for fiscal support. We have often heard that an informed public is our greatest ally but our instructional clumsiness often betrays that objective. In this episode, Dr. Stephen Black discusses his program, Texas Beyond History, which is dedicated to expanding archaeological awareness in a way that is meaningful and maximizes high technology and user-friendly venues. This emerging outreach pathway is fast becoming the wave of the future for spreading the message of archaeology to the greater public.

What is involved in pursuing a professional archaeological career in this day and age? How does it vary from a traditional career path in previous decades? The host discusses the rigorous training involved in this challenging profession and examines the unique opportunities that have emerged for archaeologists in the commercial and applied sphere. Special emphasis is placed on the training protocols that will be required for archaeological professionals as the reach of the discipline breaks out of a strict research and academic based-model and expands into broader, more applied spheres. Shrinking research and development budgets require new funding sources from public and private sources. There is a growing trend to public outreach, accountability on the part of researchers, and a demand to make the lessons of the past applicable to the survival and sustainability of the human species in the future.

A common refrain amongst archaeologists is that they often manage to make an exciting topic remarkably mundane. The fact is that a number of archaeologists have moonlighted as fiction writers, imbuing their research with a flare that makes their work spring to life. We discuss this theme with Michael Gear and his partner Kathleen O'Neal Gear, two best-selling authors and award-winning archaeologists whose fictional works dominate the field. They offer their insights into the world of archaeological novels and discuss the role of ancient cultures at the nexus of reality and imagination.

The current fascination with human origins is all about changes in human evolution, the shape of the human form and the adaptations early peoples made in response to environmental succession. However, the roles of tool making and application may represent the pivotal element to understanding how people endured for well over 99.9% of human time on the planet, irrespective of our notions of the (now outdated) missing link hypothesis. This episode derives from curious listeners who posted queries about the connections between stone tools and the emergence of the human condition.

This week’s episode is dedicated to one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century, which fascinates millions around the world to this day – 100th anniversary of Titanic’s sinking. Its maiden journey to the New World was designed as state-of-the-art technological seafaring vessel believed to be unsinkable. However, harsh reality and human arrogance not only took lives of thousands of passengers, but it casted doubt on the infallibility of technological progress, which gave us airplanes, motor cars, and mass communication. Our special guest, bestselling author and historian Hampton Sides, who contributed an article to National Geographic Magazine’s April issue, dedicated to the tragedy, will embark us on a journey of the emerging story of Titanic from the time of its discovery by Robert Ballard in 1985 through recent discoveries made by underwater archaeology and innovative remote sensing techniques, and examine how these discoveries revise the existing interpretations of the wreck.

The Impact of Cable TV on Archaeology's Image Two recent television series have thrust archaeology's image into the public domain in ways that have been roundly criticized in traditional archaeological circles. These programs have called attention to the mercenary aspect of digging for dollars and raise serious ethical concerns. While the professional community's response has been strong and pointed, will their voice be heard beyond a cloistered circle? What are the ethics behind the indignation felt by many professionals and can they unequivocally claim the moral high ground? Today's program explores the many facets of archaeological ethics and underscores the disconnect between the professional community and the interested public. The panel includes prominent archaeologists in the public eye who consider strategies to promote archaeology's image through the powerful prism of mass media.

Archaeology was typically viewed as an academic, often esoteric pursuit until the latter 20th century. The emergence of the environmental movement of the late 1960’s and ‘70’s gave rise to a preservation ethic that targeted cultural as well as natural resources in response to accelerated natural resource exploitation and land development. Prehistoric and historic archaeological sites as well as historic buildings and monuments were now classified cultural resources in North America or heritage sites elsewhere in the world. Over the past half century legislation has been in force to mitigate the effects of development on these irreplaceable vestiges of ancient cultures. This program examines the backdrop to preservation law and the evolution of cultural resource practice in response to changing political and economic realities. Our guests are nationally respected authorities who helped fashion the law and are active in applying its principles in classic as well as controversial cases.

Two recent television series, American Diggers and Diggers, have thrust archaeology's image into the public domain in ways that have been roundly criticized in traditional archaeological circles. These programs have called attention to the mercenary aspect of digging for dollars and raise serious ethical concerns. While the professional community's response has been strong and pointed, will their voice be heard beyond a cloistered circle? What are the ethics behind the indignation felt by many professionals and can they unequivocally claim the moral high ground? Today's program explores the many facets of archaeological ethics and underscores the disconnect between the professional community and the interested public. The panel includes prominent archaeologists, Ray Karl, John Doershuk and Tom King, who consider strategies to promote archaeology's image through the powerful prism of mass media.

Did you ever wonder what happens to the finds that are retrieved in archaeological excavations? How extensively are they studied and what happens to them once the researchers conclude their analysis? Professionals often discuss the Curation Crisis or the problems attendant to too many artifacts, too little room. Today's program offers an in depth discussion of the disposition of archaeological collections and helps chart a pathway that integrates curation procedures with the overall aims of specific archaeological projects. Our panel includes three experts in the field. Join Daniel Benden, Curator of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin, Francis P. McManamon, the Executive Director of the Center for Digital Antiquity, and Chris Pulliam, an archaeologist and team leader in the St. Louis District Curation and Archives Analysis Branch and assistant director of the Corps' Mandatory Center.