The Awful Truth about Archaeology - Essay Example

The Awful Truth about Archeology In his writing “The Awful Truth about Archeology” Lynn Sebastian talks on the myth surrounding archeology and reveals the real reason why it is a fascinating field. She reveals that the fact that real world of archeology is different from the fictional adventures movies on archeology. She describes the illuminating discoveries of a recent archeology event she encountered which was contrast to the adventurous archeology movies shown in media. She suggests that there is failure on the part of the practitioners to communicate effectively to the public about the real scenario of archeology expeditions.

The author explains that as we see in media, there is no bad guy who turns up to halt the work of archeology.The author claims that the real archeology world is way different from “The Tomb Raider”, “Indiana Jones, and “The Curse of the Mummy”. She explains that contrary to people believe she have not come across any curse, golden idol, serpents, and scorpions or lightening. She says if someone hand over her a map with clues as we see in movies then there would be lot of unpleasantness with campus police and also she have to spend lot of time to get permission to land in that exotic country.

They will have to search for months for the site and also credible amount of time in searching debris and soil layers. She explains that real archeology requires lot of inspection of the earth, stones and artifacts.She suggest that most of the archeologist carries a copy of the Calvin and Hobbs cartoon in their office which shows that archeology is one of the most mind numbing jobs in the world. Author says that it involves lot of paper work and handling of delicate instrument. Sebastian reveals that when one work in extreme weather condition with sand blowing on their face and working with delicate instruments on a vulnerable site then they most often question their career choice.

But she claims that archeology is exciting because it connects people with past in an interesting way. It is immediate and personal experience. She shares the experience of excavation in Arizona where they found a pit house with human hand prints that were date to AD 805. She writes that sharing these with the children of today was a matter of excitement and connecting with their ancestors.She exclaims that if Lara Croft was there instead, then she would have destroyed the pit house and smashed the handprints in the search for goodies.

She suggests that Lara might have missed all the traces that they have found like the pottery, cooking vessels and tools. She tells that, archeology is not about being excited and search for treasures, gold and jewels. But it is a painstaking profession where one needs lot of patience, hard work and endurance as working in odd climate with vulnerable remnants of past is risky affair. The author states that what Lara and Indy fail to understand is that archeology is not about things but about people.

Archeology is about who we are, where we came from and what we share with world as a specific culture.