Spooky Archaeology: Myth and the Science of the Past

Spooky Archaeology: Myth and the Science of the Past

The second presentation in the AIA/SunWatch 2018 Lecture Series: Science vs Pseudoscience presented by Dr. Jeb Card, Visiting Assistant of Anthropology at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Outside of scientific journals, archaeologists are depicted as searching for lost cities and mystical artifacts in news reports, television, video games, and movies like Indiana Jones or The Mummy. This fantastical image has little to do with day-to-day science, yet it is deeply connected to why people are fascinated by the ancient past. People today continue to find the mystical and archaeology and have a fascination with exotic artifacts and eerie practices. Exploring the development of archaeology helps us understand what archaeology is and why it matters. In this presentation by Jeb J. Card, the audience will follow a trail of clues left by adventurers and professional archaeologists through haunted museums, mysterious hieroglyphic inscriptions, fragments of a lost continent that never existed, and deep into an investigation of magic and murder.

Thanks to the Archaeological Institute of America and the generosity of an anonymous donor, admission to the 2018 Science vs Pseudoscience presentation series is free and open to the public. Regular admission fees apply for guests who wish to visit the museum and village before or after each presentation. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pastries will be provided; guests are welcome to bring a beverage.

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Sunwatch Indian Village

Spooky Archaeology: Myth and the Science of the Past is taking place at Sunwatch Indian Village, which is located at 2301 West River Road in Dayton. Sunwatch Indian Village - SunWatch is a 13th century American Indian village located along the Great Miami River in Dayton, OH. Archaeological excavations from 1971-1988 revealed a planned, stockaded Fort Ancient period settlement with astronomical alignments.