Interesting thread! There is no doubt in my mind that treasure hunting and archaeology are two vastly different occupations.

Archaeology begins with a research design and then follows a specific methodology. Yes, as any archaeology professor will tell you, archaeology is a destructive process in and of itself. However, the end goal of archaeology is the search for information... not necessarily artifacts. If artifacts are found, then they are used to support the information obtained. They are the means to an end not the end itself. These artifacts are then turned over to their rightful owners according to state and national laws.

Treasure hunting - what Indiana Jones does in the movies - begins as a quest for a specific artifact -"the treasure"- and then any information gained in the quest is considered secondary and unimportant unless it directly leads to finding the treasure.

The Indiana Jones character is more in the category of what I call "quasi-archaeologists". These people are much more interested in finding treasure than uncovering new information. It does lead many people into a false idea of what archaeology really is. It is tough, dirty (sometimes monotonous) work. You spend most of your time sifting through dirt and/or mud and not finding anything that you are looking for - certainly not treasure.

As for AIA's choice of Harrison Ford to sit on the board of directors... from watching the movies several times, it seems that although Indiana Jones says several times that the treasures he goes after should "be in a museum".  However, In the first Indiana Jones movie he goes to a South American country to obtain a golden statue for a museum in the United States. The movie makes no mention of Dr. Jones working in collaboration with the government in that South American country. It would appear that those that are opposed to the AIA's choice of the Indiana Jones character as a role model have a valid point.

Perhaps a better candidate would be Nicholas Cage - from the National Treasure Movies- because at least that character (Benjamin Gates) believes that anything he finds belongs to the people that lost it. Then he actually follows through with giving it back.  But then again, the character calls himself a historian rather than an archaeologist so I guess he does not qualify.

CC
 
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cindy Ho
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 12:37 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: What is treasure hunting? What is archaeology?
 
And is there a difference?
 
This May, the Archaeological Institute of America announced that actor Harrison Ford, who plays the title character in the Indiana Jones trilogy-plus-one, will serve on its Board of Directors.  
 
The Indy films have brought archaeology into the public eye, true. And no doubt his adventures have drawn many students to the discipline (who then realize archaeology isn't exactly like "Raiders of the Lost Ark").  But let's take a moment to consider the consequences of this appointment.
 
Archaeologist Dr. Oscar Muscarella, outspoken critic of the antiquities trade and the plunder of archaeological sites, objects to the appointment of Harrison Ford. AIA is North America's oldest and largest non-profit organization devoted to archaeology, and according to the AIA website, "the legendary archaeologist Indiana Jones ... shows his commitment to real archaeology."  However, according to Dr. Muscarella, Indiana Jones is not an archaeologist, but a plunderer.  See Dr. Muscarella's video and read his statement at the SAFECorner blog: http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/ 
 
Is the AIA, one of the first places to which we turn for guidelines and counsel in archaeological ethics, sending conflicting messages?  Have they made a mistake in recognizing a character (or rather, the actor behind him) that Mark Rose, online editorial director for the AIA, doesn't "think would be a member [of the profession]. Not in good standing, anyway"?
 
Vote in the poll and join the discussion at http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/ or share your thoughts in the discussion boards of the SAFE Facebook group!
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