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Indiana Jones and the Illicit Trafficking and Repatriation… 157

as one of science and intense research. For instance, both Raiders of the Lost
Ark and The Last Crusade show Indiana Jones, the archaeologist, as a
scholarly professor by including at least one university scene, which involves
him teaching an archaeology course while donned in tweed with a bowtie no
less. Moreover, many of the statements he makes reflect this view of the
profession. In The Last Crusade, the speech he gives his students in one of
these university scenes best illustrates this view. ―Archaeology is the search
for fact… no, not truth. If it‘s truth that you are interested in, the philosophy
class is down the hall. Forget any ideas about lost cities, exotic travel and
digging up the world. We do not follow maps to treasure, and ―X‖ never ever
marks the spot. 70 percent of all archaeology is done in the library. Research,
reading, we cannot afford to take mythology at face value.‖ [The Last
Crusade].
Obvious humor aside, the trilogy constantly contradicts this serious
scientific image of the profession of archaeology. Arguably, such humor in
part stems from an acknowledgement on the part of the film makers to the
audience that they both understand that adventure does not really typify the
reality of the profession of archaeology. However, the fact remains that the
trilogy simultaneously portrays both views of the profession. As Holtorf notes:
―Ironically, in many ways the reality of professional archaeology is not
entirely different from the stereotypical clichés of archaeology that are so
prominent in popular culture. As I argued earlier, these clichés have some
affinity with what the professionals really do, as well as with how they see
themselves – although there are also aspects of archaeological work that are
not reflected in any of these stereotypes. But at the end of the day, from time
to time archaeologists really do find exciting treasures, and their fieldwork
often is exciting in many ways. Precisely that adventure aspect is central to
how many archaeologists define themselves as professionals, and how they
choose to remember their research. In short, archaeologists really love Indiana
Jones.‖ [Holtorf, 2008b, p. 27].
All three films are saturated by the portrayal of archaeology as adventure
as Indy dons a leather jacket and a fedora while toting a pistol and a bullwhip
wherever he goes; and he goes everywhere! Specifically, all three films
include extensive exotic travel and scenes of digging up the world, which have
been described as little more than the effective looting of ―indigenous cultural
heritage, portrayed as the legitimate collection of antiquities‖ [Hall, p. 164].
The major locations in the trilogy include South America, the United States,
Nepal, Egypt, China, India, the Portuguese coast, Italy, Germany and the
Hatay Province, an area that both Turkey and Syria claim. In particular,