ANME 281 - Archaeological Fantasies: Pseudoarchaeology, Pseudohistory, and Nationalism

In this course, we will examine the (ab)uses of archaeological material, sites, and data in the service of pseudohistorical/pseudoarchaeological arguments, conspiracy theories, and nationalistic agendas. Topics will include white supremacist uses of ancient DNA; ancient aliens narratives; Atlantis and other hyperdiffusionist stories; ways in which pseudoarchaeological theories erase indigenous histories; Nazi and Fascist uses of archaeology; and the use of archaeology in the construction of modern national narratives. In addition to examining these uses of archaeology and the ends they serve, throughout this course we will discuss the methods and theories of academic archaeology, examine the reception of archaeology in popular culture, and interrogate the epistemological roots of both pseudoarchaeology and conspiratorial thinking.

Unit(s): 1
Group Distribution Requirement(s): Distribution Group II
Instructional Method: Lecture-conference
Grading Mode: Letter grading (A-F)
Group Distribution Learning Outcome(s):

Evaluate data and/or sources.
Analyze institutions, formations, languages, structures, or processes, whether social, political, religious, economic, cultural, intellectual or other.
Think in sophisticated ways about causation, social and/or historical change, human cognition, or the relationship between individuals and society, or engage with social, political, religious or economic theory in other areas.