Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T15:15:13.721Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Irrationality and Popular Archaeology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Kenneth L. Feder
Kenneth L. Feder*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT 06050
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An important aspect of archaeology is communicating the significance of data and research results to a fascinated, although often uninformed public. However, on the basis of book sales, newspaper coverage, television programming, and film presentations, it would seem that the public is inordinately fascinated by the more extreme, speculative, and often pseudoscientific claims made by those purporting to use archaeological data. Through questionnaires distributed to undergraduate students and to professional, teaching archaeologists, I made an attempt to comprehend the nature of the public's appetite for pseudoscientific archaeological claims. The role of education in refuting or perpetuating pseudoscience in archaeology was then assessed.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 49 , Issue 3 , July 1984 , pp. 525 - 541
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References Cited

Bainbridge, William Sims 1978 Chariots of the Gullible. The Skeptical Inquirer 3(2): 33–48.Google Scholar
Berlitz, Charles 1969 The Mystery of Atlantis. Nordon Publications, New York.Google Scholar
Cazeau, Charles, and Scott, Stuart 1979 Exploring the Unknown: Great Mysteries Reexamined. Plenum Press, New York.Google Scholar
Cohen, Daniel 1976 The Ancient Visitors. Doubleday and Company, New York.Google Scholar
Cole, John R. 1978 Anthropology Beyond the Fringe: Ancient Inscriptions, Early Man and Scientific Method. The Skeptical Inquirer 2(2): 62–71.Google Scholar
Cole, John R. 1979 Inscription Mania, Hyperdiffusionism and the Public: Fallout from a 1977 Meeting in Vermont. Man in the Northeast 17: 27–54.Google Scholar
Cole, John R. 1980 Cult Archaeology and Unscientific Method and Theory. In Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory, Volume 3, edited by Schiffer, Michael, pp. 1-33. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Cole, John R. 1981 Cult Archaeology in America. Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut 44: 60–66.Google Scholar
Cole, John R. 1982 Western Massachusetts “Monks Caves“: 1979 University of Massachusetts Field Research. Man in the Northeast 24: 37–69.Google Scholar
Cole, John R. 1983 The Case of the Texas Footprints. Videotape, written and produced by Cole. Pia Nicolini director. American Anthropological Association.Google Scholar
DeCamp, L. Sprague 1954 Lost Continents: The Atlantis Theme in History, Science, and Literature. Gnome Press, New York.Google Scholar
Donnelly, Ignatius 1971 Atlantis, the Antediluvian World, (originally published 1882). Harper and Row, New York.Google Scholar
Eldredge, Niles 1982 The Monkey Business: A Scientist Looks at Creationism. Washington Square Press, New York.Google Scholar
Fagan, Brian 1981 American Genesis? Review of American Genesis by Jeffrey, Goodman. Early Man 3(4): 24–26.Google Scholar
Feder, Kenneth L. 1980a Psychic Archaeology: The Anatomy of Irrationalist Prehistoric Studies. The Skeptical Inquirer 4(4): 32–43.Google Scholar
Feder, Kenneth L. 1980b Foolsgold of the Gods. The Humanist Jan/Feb: 20–23.Google Scholar
Feder, Kenneth L. 1983 American Disingenuous: A Critique of Dr. Jeffrey Goodman's American Genesis. The Skeptical Inquirer, 7(4): 36–48.Google Scholar
Fell, Barry 1976 America B. C.: European Settlers in the New World. Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Co., New York.Google Scholar
Fell, Barry 1980 Saga America. Times Books, New York.Google Scholar
Galanopoulos, A. G., and Bacon, Edward 1969 Atlantis: The Truth Behind the Legend. The Bobbs-Merrill Company, N. Y.Google Scholar
Gallup, George Jr., and Poling, David 1980 The Search for America's Faith. Abington Press, Nashville.Google Scholar
Gish, Duane 1973 Evolution: The Fossils Say No! Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego.Google Scholar
Godfrey, Laurie R. 1981a An Analysis of the Creationist Film, Footprints in the Stone. Creation/Evolution 4: 23–30.Google Scholar
Godfrey, Laurie R. 1981b The Flood of Anti-evolutionism: Where is the Science in Scientific Creationism? Natural History 90: 4–10.Google Scholar
Godfrey, Laurie R. (editor) 1983 Scientists Confront Creationism. W. W. Norton, New York.Google Scholar
Goodman, Jeffrey 1977 Psychic Archaeology: Time Machine to the Past. Berkley Books, New York.Google Scholar
Goodman, Jeffrey 1982 American Genesis: The American Indian and Origins of Modern Man. Berkley Books, New York.Google Scholar
Gradie, Robert 1981 Irish Immigration to 18th Century New England and the Stone Chamber Controversy. Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut 44: 30–40.Google Scholar
Guenette, R., and Guenette, F. 1975 Bigfoot: The Mysterious Monster. Sunn Classic Books, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Hume, Ivor 1974 Historical Archaeology. Knopf, New York.Google Scholar
Ingstad, Anne Stine 1977 The Discovery of a Norse Settlement in America. Excavations at L' Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, 1961-1968. Universitetsforlaget, Oslo.Google Scholar
Jones, David 1979 Visions of Time: Experiments in Psychic Archaeology. The Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton, III.Google Scholar
King, Thomas F. 1981 The NART: A Plan to Direct Archaeology Toward More Relevant Goals in Modern Life. Early Man 3(4): 35–38.Google Scholar
Kosok, Paul 1965 Life, Land, and Water in Ancient Peru. Long Island University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Kosok, Paul, and Reiche, Maria 1947 The Mysterious Markings of Nazca. Natural History 56: 200-207, 237–238.Google Scholar
Kra, Renee (editor) 1981 New England Megaliths: Fact and Fancy. Bulletin 44 of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut. Google Scholar
Krupp, E. C. (editor) 1978 In Search of Ancient Astronomies. Doubleday and Company, New York.Google Scholar
Krupp, E. C. 1983 Echoes of the Ancient Skies: The Astronomy of Lost Civilizations. Harper and Row, New York.Google Scholar
La Haye, Tim, and Morris, John 1976 The Ark on Ararat. Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego.Google Scholar
Lundeen, Gerhard E., and Caldwell, Otis W. 1930 A Study of Unfounded Beliefs Among High School Seniors. Journal of Educational Research 22(4): 257–273.Google Scholar
Mac Neish, Richard S. 1964 Ancient Mesoamerican Civilization. Science 143: 531–537.Google Scholar
McKusick, Marshall 1981 Review of Saga America by Barry, Fell. Archaeology 34: 62–66.Google Scholar
McKusick, Marshall 1982 Psychic Archaeology: Theory, Method, and Mythology. Journal of Field Archaeology 9: 99–118.Google Scholar
Moore, Robert 1983 Special Issue: The Impossible Voyage of Noah's Ark. Creation/Evolution. Issue XI.Google Scholar
Morris, Henry 1974 Scientific Creationism. Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego.Google Scholar
Morris, John 1980 Tracking Those Incredible Dinosaurs and the People Who Knew Them. Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego.Google Scholar
Napier, John 1973 Bigfoot: The Yeti and Sasauatch in Myth and Reality. E. P. Dutton & Co., New York.Google Scholar
Neudorfer, Giovanna 1980 Vermont's Stone Chambers. Vermont Historical Society, Montpelier, Vt.Google Scholar
Newell, Norman D. 1982 Creation and Evolution: Myth or Reality. Columbia University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Pastner, Stephen, and Haviland, William 1982 Confronting the Creationists. Northeastern Anthropological Association Occasional Proceedings 1.Google Scholar
Ross, Anne, and Reynolds, Peter 1978 Ancient Vermont. Antiquity 52: 100–107.Google Scholar
Sabloff, Jeremy A. (editor) 1982 Archaeology: Myth and Reality. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Schwartz, Stephan 1978 The Secret Vaults of Time: Psychic Archaeology and the Quest for Man's Beginnings. Grosset & Dunlap Publ., New York.Google Scholar
Snow, Dean 1981 Martians and Vikings, Madoc and Runes. American Heritage 32(6): 102–108.Google Scholar
Snyder, Gerald 1977 Is There a Loch Ness Monster: The Search for a Legend. Wanderer Books, New York.Google Scholar
Stanford, Dennis 1981 Who's on First? Review of American Genesis by Jeffrey, Goodman. Science ‘81 June, pp. 91–92.Google Scholar
Story, Ronald 1976 The Space-Gods Revealed. Harper and Row, New York.Google Scholar
Turner, Christy G. II 1981 Review of American Genesis: The American Indian and the Origins of Modern Man by Jeffrey, Goodman. Archaeology 35: 72–74.Google Scholar
von DSniken, Erich 1970 Chariots of the Gods: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past. Bantam Books, New York.Google Scholar
von DSniken, Erich 1972 Gods from Outer Space. Bantam Books, New York.Google Scholar
von DSniken, Erich 1974 Gold of the Gods. Bantam Books, New York.Google Scholar
Wauchope, Robert 1962 Lost Tribes and Sunken Continents: Myth and Method in the Study of American Indians. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar
White, Peter 1974 The Past Is Human. Tapplinger Press, New York.Google Scholar