Archaeology & the Media
ANT 435
Spring 2009

Class Discussion Questions

February 19-24, 2009

Digging for the Truth on The History Channel

Introduction
Since its cable television debut on January 1, 1995 the History Channel has been an immensely popular way for Americans to learn about world history.  In its various forms it is viewed in Asia, Europe, Israel, Australia and New Zealand each week by millions of people.  As a result the History Channel (now simply called History) has a tremendous influence over how people across a large part of the world come to understand humankind's history.  During the first two years it aired (2005 & 2006) Digging for the Truth was by far the most popular program on the History Channel.  Its host for the first three seasons was Josh Bernstein.  The current host for the program is Hunter Ellis.  On Tuesday the 24th of February we'll be discussing the show in a bit more detail and it is likely we'll view another clip or two from episodes aired during the first two seasons.  In order to be prepared for our discussion you're to do the following:

1) Find out a bit about each of the show's two hosts.  Who are these guys?  What's their background?  Why do you think each was chosen as a host for the series?  You can base the answer to this last question on what you've seen in the Queen Nefertiti episode we watched in class on Thursday as well as video clips with the current host, Hunter Ellis, posted on the History Channel's web site (see below for link).  Also, take a look at the New York Times piece and the Quest Magazine article for more information on Josh Bernstein.

2).  What are people saying about the series?  To answer this question have a look at some of the postings by friends and fans of the show on various blogs.  What do people think about Josh leaving?  How do folks view the new host, Hunter Ellis?  Can you get a sense of what fans are thinking about the series in general or the direction History Channel is going with the show?  Is there anything else fans are saying that's noteworthy about DFT?
 

Be prepared to discuss your answers to these questions next Tuesday February 24, 2009.

These web sites will get you started -

History Channel web site:
http://www.history.com/minisites/diggingforthetruth/

Unofficial Web Site
http://www.diggingforthetruth.net/main.html

New York Times Article (April 2007)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/fashion/22indiana.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Quest Magazine's Tonya Parker Morrison article (undated)
http://www.questmagazine.com/z_tonya_morrison_qm200510_digging-for-the-truth-history-channel-josh-bernstein.html

January 29, 2009

Time Team: Archaeology on Britain's Channel 4

Introduction
Channel 4 is a major media outlet in Great Britain.  It holds a very large market share of the television audience in the metropolitan London area and throughout much of Britain.  It is also broadcast throughout parts of Europe and internationally.  Needless to say, many tens of millions of people watch programming on Channel 4, which makes it a very powerful media outlet, indeed.  One of its most popular television programmes, broadcast weekly to millions of devoted viewers, is Time Team.  Find out more about how the media in England promotes archaeology to millions of viewers by exploring their web site and answering the following questions.

Class Assignment

Answer the following questions:
1).  Briefly summarize what the Time Team is all about.

2).  What are some of the kinds of information available on the Time Team from their website?

3).  What other (additional) resources are available (for free and for cost) on Channel 4’s Time Team web page?

4). As a member of the ‘general public’ what impressed you most about the Time Team based on what you learned from their web page?  What was most notable about what they do (or don’t do)?  What was your general perception of the Time Team?

5). Now dig deeper (ha!).  Search the web for other sites that discuss the Time Team.  What are other folks saying about them?  Are there criticisms of the manner in which they conduct their work, the ‘professionals’ involved, the ways they follow (or don’t follow) proper archaeological field, lab, conservation and reporting procedures?  What are the criticisms?

6).  What things about the Time Team might foster or reinforce traditional stereotypes about what archaeologists do and how they go about their work professionally?  Or does the Time Team break traditional stereotypes?  How?  In what ways?  Note the good, the bad and the ugly about Time Team.

You are also to conduct some research and find critique/criticisms/comments on what Time Team does.  Find at least two sources of information - blogs or other forms of commentary - in which the methods, results, conclusions, etc. of Time Team are discussed.  What kinds of issues do people have with how Time Team does their work?  How does what Time Team does differ from what you've learned about how archaeological work is conducted by other researchers?

Be prepared to discuss your answers to these questions next Tuesday February 3, 2009.

These web sites will get you started -

Official Channel 4 Web Site
http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/

Unofficial Time Team Web Site
http://www.timeteam.k1z.com/ 

Interview with Mick Aston regarding Successes of Time Team
http://www.archaeology.co.uk/british-features/mick-aston.htm 

PBS News Story regarding US Time Team
http://www.pbs.org/aboutpbs/news/20080326_timeteam.html

Reading Packet 4:Public Opinion and Archaeological Heritage. David Pokotylo & Neil Guppy American Antiquity (1999)

 With your partner, do the following:

·    Each of you list three (3) points you thought were noteworthy, surprising and/or most interesting about the results of the survey (not the survey itself - we’ll get to that later!)

·   Once you have listed your main points present these points, one at a time, to your partner, explaining why you thought a particular point was noteworthy, surprising or interesting in some way.  Think about what you learned from reading the article about public perceptions of archaeology and relate to your partner those findings of the survey conducted in British Columbia that interested, surprised, or didn’t surprise you the most.

·    Next, elicit a response from your partner on the points you’ve just made.  Does your partner agree or disagree with your observations?  Why or why not?  Partner – here’s where you give your take on what your partner has just told you they found interesting or noteworthy about the survey results!

·   Come to a consensus about which three points you both agree are most interesting or noteworthy about the survey results.  Once you and your partner reach agreement, rank them in order from 1 (being the most interesting or surprising result) to three (being the least interesting or noteworthy result).

·   Last, make two independent observations about the survey itself and share each of these with your partner.  These observations can be on anything at all you wish to comment about, including (but certainly not limited to) how the survey was conducted, potential biases in the survey, the backgrounds/characteristics of the respondents, etc. – anything you found noteworthy about the survey itself. 

Once everyone is finished we’ll reassemble in our class seminar group and go over your findings together.

Reading Packet 5: Maria Ramos and David Duganne“Exploring Public Perceptions & Attitudes about Archaeology” Society for American Archaeology & Harris Interactive (2000)
 

Get with a partner and discuss your views on the following points: 

·   “The information that is provided in this report is important because archaeology is a public endeavour.”  What is meant by this statement?  Is this an accurate statement in your mind?  Why or why not? 

·   How was the Guppy and Pokotylo article you read last week used in this particular study? 

·   What was the study sample and where did the sample come from? 

·   How did Harris Interactive achieve a random sample? 

·   Why did the authors make this statement: “In general, the public’s level of knowledge about archaeology and what archaeologists do is fairly broad and moderately accurate…”?  On what kinds of data are they basing this statement? 

·   According to this poll, what do most folks think of when they hear the word “archaeology”? 

·   What’s the interesting point the authors made about the public, museums and what many people think about what happens to artifacts from a ‘dig’? 

·   What kinds of differences exist between how different segments of the population learn about archaeology? 

·   Name at least three things that surprised you or were unexpected as you read this paper.  Why were you surprised by these findings?

Reading Packet 6:  Natalie Vinton’s “Interpreting Archaeology” (2001)

For this reading you are to develop 5 (five) questions of your own that we will answer and discuss in class on Thursday March 5, 2009.  You will be turning these questions in (your first write-and-turn-in homework assignment).  Simply type out the questions in a format similar to those questions you see above, and make sure your name and date are on the paper you turn in.  Bring 4 (four) copies of your questions on the Vinton article to class with you.