Cornelius,
Archaeology is a recurring theme in the Godzilla mythos. Several of the
Godzilla films feature archaeologists. The most obvious example is
1974's Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0071565). In
it, a young female archaeology grad student and her professor are
critical to the plot resolution. An engineer, professor Miyajima,
provides the tools for the destruction of the monster, but the
archaeologists provide the knowledge which will allow their application
at the right time and in the right manner.
The film opens with the discovery of a cave on Okinawa which contains
mural paintings. Masahiko Shimizu (or Shimizu Masahiko, I guess) is the
young archaeologist who is sent by professor Wagura to investigate. She
makes a first rough translation and recuperates a lion statuette which
she brings back to the professor's lab. The inscriptions in the cave
contain a prophecy in the form of a riddle, and the statuette is the key
to awakening an ancient Okinawan god which will help defeat the
extra-terrestrial Mechagodzilla.
Not a bad film, and I very interesting if watched from a folklore and
mythology perspective.
In my defense, I have a seven year old son :)
I'll let you know if I think of any more.
Andre
-----Original Message-----
From: Archaeological theory and associated fields of interest list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cornelius Holtorf
Sent: March 31, 2003 7:52 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Archaeologists in popular culture
Hello all
I am trying to compile a list of all *major* archaeologists of popular
culture (fiction, TV, movies etc). Here is my list so far. Who can add
anything?
Please respond offline and send full details on books, films, webpages
etc. If requested, I will repost later an updated list with your
additions.
Note that this is not a full list of all archaeologists ever mentioned
but a list of some particularly interesting major examples for prominent
archaeologists in various genres of popular culture. I suspect that I
may have overlooked a few good ones, hence this mail (to arch-theory,
britarch and arch-de simultaneously). Antworten gerne auch auf deutsch.
Cornelius
------------------
ARCHAEOLOGISTS IN POPULAR CULTURE
Dr. Cornelius
A chimpanzee in the film The Planet of the Apes
Lara Croft
The heroine of the computer game and film Tomb Raider
Professor Sydney Fox, historian in the Department of Ancient Studies
The heroine of the TV-series Relic Hunter
Daniel Jackson, Egyptologist
The hero in the film Stargate
Professor Indiana Jones
The hero in novels by various authors and three major Feature Films by
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg
Indiana Pipps, Indiana Ding, Indiana Goof, Indiana Jöns, Arizona Goof,
etc.
Goofy's cousin who appears in Disney's Donald Duck stories under
various names in different countries
Korita
A character in the science-fiction story The Voyage of the Space Beagle
by A. E. Van Vogt (1951).
Amelia Peabody, Egyptologist
The heroine in a series of novels by Elizabeth Peters
Professor Richard Gales; Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the Enterprise;
Vash; Lieutenant Marla Aster
Various characters in the TV series Star Trek and associated fiction
Professor Amelia Rumford
A character in Doctor Who: The Stones of Blood (1978)
Professor Bernice Summerfield
The heroine of several novels by various authors, originally part of
Doctor Who
Professor Hercules Taragon, Americanist
A specialist in ancient Peru, occurring in two Tintin adventures
Cornelius Holtorf
Riksantikvarieämbetet, Stockholm
http://members.chello.se/cornelius
|