Vanity Fair is back again to ruin your favorite movies. As part of their series of experts reacting to film depictions of their respective professional fields, the entertainment news source invited a real archaeologist to lead their latest video. Since Hollywood has always seemed to have a certain fascination with archaeology, if not an eye for accuracy, she had plenty of fodder to critique.
Dr. Alexandra Jones, Founder and CEO of the nonprofit educational program Archaeology in the Community, took the helm of this particular video. Ranging from expected targets like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Mummy to less traditional picks such as Prometheus, the archaeology expert pulled no punches in her examination of the various scenes. Her passion for her work was clear throughout, which allowed for some enlightening looks into how the profession is typically portrayed in media.
Starting with the famous opening scene Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dr. Jones surprisingly revealed that the idea of security systems installed by ancient civilizations isn’t exactly unheard of, citing an old Chinese practice where the Emperor “built” warriors to protect him in death. Naturally, the more symbolic nature of that practice is a bit removed from a giant, perfectly spherical boulder chasing would-be plunderers down narrow passages. But the concept surprisingly seems to be based somewhat in reality.
Moving on through films like Tomb Raider, The Mummy (as well as The Mummy Returns), Encino Man, and more, Dr. Jones continually returned to the theme of respecting the archaeological site. Many of these films feature people taking artifacts for their own collection, or even just flat out desecrating ancient objects and treasures for their own amusement. She even almost seemed to lose her cool a bit when discussing a scene in The Mummy where the character Jonathan messes around with a mummy in an actual sarcophagus. Frankly, nobody could blame her for smacking the reckless Egyptologist if she could.
Dr. Jones (no, it will never stop being fun saying that) then went on to praise Ridley Scott’s 2012 film Prometheus for its relative accuracy when portraying actual archaeology, marking that rare occasion when the film receives positive attention for something. Surprisingly, the film’s portrayal of dig sites and the precautions taken by the archaeologists was among the most faithful recreations of real life compared to the rest of the films she critiqued.
Other highlights include her reaction to a perilous scene in The Pyramid by asking incredulously, “why was nobody else backing out the room?!” A short, rather pointed lecture about the idea of treasure maps tops the list as well, with her statement that a map alone should never be enough for someone to go out on an adventure. Many viewers might take a second at that point to think “hey yeah, that actually makes a lot more sense.”
As usual, it’s always interesting to see a genuine critique like this from someone who’s not only knowledgeable, but passionate about the subject in question. Dr. Jones definitely fits both bills. If anyone became inspired by the video and wants to learn more about archaeology, Dr. Jones’ own organization, Archaeology in the Community, could be an excellent place to start.
Source: Vanity Fair/YouTube
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