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A Real Indiana Jones WR IT TE N BY MICH AE L SE ARCY CO N T RI BUTING E DITO R: F E L ICIT Y WARRE N
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he figure that most people think of when they hear the word archaeology is inevitably Indiana Jones. Many of us archaeologists unabashedly claim the whip-wielding hero as our poster child. Intelligent, dauntless, chiseled—why wouldn’t we want to be compared to such an iconic figure? But we know that Dr. Jones is a fictionalized stereotype of the way archaeology was carried out in the early twentieth century: acquiring ancient relics as trophies or curiosities, which were then collected by museums that wanted bragging rights for the most impressive artifacts. Archaeologists today study ancient cultures in the larger context of solving contemporary problems such as global warming, overpopulation, urban sprawl, and political despotism. To work outside of the United States, we have to consider realities such as procuring grants and gaining the trust and cooperation of the people whose land we explore. And while we aren’t being chased constantly by Nazis or falling into pits of snakes, that doesn’t mean we don’t have what I like to call “Indiana Jones Moments”—those risks implicit in our fieldwork that can make us question our profession. Though the methods and goals of modern-day archaeology have changed significantly over the last century, I have realized one thing that has remained constant in our discipline: the drive to make incredible discoveries while embarking on adventures that take us far from the office or laboratory. My own passion for archaeology began shortly after finishing my bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2000. I was hired by a post-production studio in Dallas to edit TV commercials, corporate training videos, and movie trailers. While the job paid the bills, I was more interested in telling stories through documentary films. My friend, Winston Scott, and I decided to document the unique ceremonies that accompanied the yearly planting of maize among the Q’eqchi’ Maya in the remote mountain villages of Guatemala. During our week-long trip to do initial research and filming in March 2001, we found ourselves at the center of a large local uprising. It was rumored that a man accused of kidnapping a girl was set free after bribing a high-ranking official. After the criminal fled, the mob directed their anger at the judge. Over several hours on a hot, humid night, we witnessed the vicious lynching of the judge that took place just beneath the window of our hotel room. My mind couldn’t stop questioning what I had seen: What if the murdered judge or the accused criminal were really innocent? Why was this mob so incensed? After studying the history of the brutal Guatemalan civil war that lasted from the 1960s to the 1990 1990s, I realized that a history of racial oppression directed at the Maya was partly to blame. They wanted justice and knew that to get it they had to take matters into their own hands. These nagging questions led me to quit my job as a video editor and pursue a degree in anthropology. In the years since that horrific incident, I have found that people are who they are today in part because of the events and decisions linked to their ancestors. Each culture
COP P ER BEL L FROM T HE WEST COAST OF MEXICO FOUND D URING SURVEY.
WINTER 2014
INSIGHT experience honors
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