Investigating the representation of artefacts, objects and ‘things’ in a range of predominantly Western archaeological fiction from the late Victorian period to the modern day, this book examines the narratives through which humanity represents its own material heritage in relation to notions of enchantment, exhibition, estrangement, adventure, tourism and waste.
Kerry Dodd asserts that comprehending the structures through which material culture is presented within archaeological media reveals the structures that transform an object from rubbish to relic. Calling upon such indicative literature, films, TV series and video games as Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones, Uncharted and Relic Hunter, this book explores the depiction of material culture through three principal areas – relics, exhibition and adventure.
Outlining a critical framework of artefact representation, Dodd argues that such iconic moments as Howard Carter’s remark that he saw ‘wonderful things’ when he broke into the antechamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb remain recognisable through the evocation of a spectacular visual, despite little concrete definition of the objects witnessed. This book offers a unique exploration of how such figures as Indiana Jones, Lara Croft and Carter have cemented a cultural recognition of what an artefact constitutes as being dependent on how an object is encountered. It is through the very ‘wonder’ of things that Dodd breaks down the boundaries between popular and professional archaeology by pushing forward critical considerations of material culture.
Introduction – The Wonder of Things Section One: Relics Chapter One - Tomb Raiding: In Pursuit of Artefactual Treasure Chapter Two – Relics Reborn: Animating Objects and Mummies Chapter Three – From Rubbish to Relic: Trash, Nostalgia and Space Junk Chapter Four – Alien Artefacts: Ancient Astronauts and Revisionary Histories Section Two: Exhibition Chapter Five – Curios and Collections: Cabinets of Curiosity, Museums and Exhibitions Chapter Six – After-hours at the Archive: Private Encounters and Museum Mythologies Chapter Seven – Heritage Tourism: Preservation, Conservation and Transformation Section Three: Adventure Chapter Eight – Lost Worlds: Subterranean Fiction, Imperial Romance and Hidden Cities Chapter Nine – Ruin Reflections: Abandoned, Industrial and Post-apocalyptic Architecture Chapter Ten – Xenoarchaeology: Material Estrangement and Alien Civilisations Conclusion – Things of Wonder Works Cited Index
Kerry Dodd is an Independent Scholar affiliated with Lancaster University, UK, where he completed his PhD. He is Co-head Editor of Fantastika Journal and his recent publications include: a chapter on glitches, errors and technological fear in Investigating Stranger Things (2021), an article on ‘narrative archaeology’ in Studies in Gothic Fiction (2021), and a chapter on artefacts in Excavating Indiana Jones (2020).
