Underqualified Jones

Lucasan, Celine A. (2010 – 67202)

Archeo 2 WFW – 1

Under Qualified Jones

In my search for an answer on whether Indiana Jones could be considered as an archeologist or not, I had the privilege of finding out what it means to actually be one. Archeology is tied up with anthropology wherein the archeologists figure out the lifestyle of humanity from the past through the remnants of the artifacts our ancestors have left behind. The emphasis is on understanding the underlying reason behind why an artifact was made rather than the artifact itself.

There are certain methods that archeologists follow when it comes to their field of study, which Jonesey didn’t observe at all. First of these is that he didn’t go through any formalized method of recording the artifacts he encountered. In the Kingdom of Crystal Skulls, there was this one scene where a conquistador’s body was mummified and he just tore it open. The perfectly preserved body disintegrated to ashes within seconds. What he did next was that he got a small knife from inside the mummified cocoon and was planning to use it so that he wouldn’t need to borrow his companion’s anymore. The same goes with the crystal skull he discovered, he just got it, tried to figure out why his friend Oxley returned it but never bothered to record his findings. A real archeologist would prioritize a measuring tape, or any measuring tool for that matter, over his handy dandy whip.

Second, archeologists are required to come up with drawings of the excavation site, the artifacts, and also for permission from the country’s government. In short they are to “observe, record, categorize, and interpret what they find” a. Aside from interpreting his discoveries, Indy doesn’t go through the rest of the trouble but instead bravely trespasses these sites instead. If he doesn’t even bother taking measurements, what more with making drawings that take longer to work on? Again in the movie, Jones discovers the grave of Francisco de...