At the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con, Star Warsologies presented the panel “Indiana Jones and the Nexus of Archaeology, History, and Punching Fascists”, taking a little SDCC break from our customary Star Wars content. We compared real world archaeology and cultural resource management to the types depicted in the Indiana Jones films. We also examined the science and ethics behind many of his practices. What are the dangers of real archaeological fieldwork? Is there usually a race against time? Who resets the rolling boulder after the temple traps are activated?

The YouTube version of the episode has the slides from the presentation, so check it out if you’d like!

Panel description:

Indiana Jones is back for more fortune and glory, and the Indy films have shaped the public’s view of the world of archaeology and artifacts for more than 40 years. Now with the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, let’s examine the legacy of the man with the whip and the hat. What do the Indiana Jones films get right and wrong about real world archaeological adventures? Do the antiquities collected by Dr. Jones really belong in a museum – and does he? How do historical artifacts connect to modern politics? How has Indiana Jones impacted the archaeological field? Panelists include Dr. Becca Peixotto (archaeologist, IF/THEN Ambassador), Bailey Jorgensen (historical archaeologist; collections manager, Alf Museum of Paleontology), Kara Vetter (senior director of cultural resources, Museum of Us). Moderated by James Floyd (STEAMpop Network, Star Warsologies podcast, Star Wars Insider contributor). Join our panel of globe-trotting archaeologists, historians, and cultural resource experts in discussing the science and ethics of his adventures as we follow the trail of Indiana Jones around the 20th century world.

Featuring panelists:

Dr. Becca Peixotto – @beccapeixotto on Twitter and @b.fish.bones on Instagram
Kara Vetter – @otra_nerdista on Twitter
Bailey Jorgensen – @alfpaleo on Twitter and @alfpaleo on Instagram

Show Links

Becca Peixotto is an IF/THEN Ambassador (ifthenshecan.org)- a program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: @ifthenshecan on Twitter and @ifthenshecan on Instagram
Bailey Jorgensen works for the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology (alfmuseum.org): @alfpaleo on Twitter and @alfpaleo on Instagram
Kara Vetter works for the Museum of Us (museumofus.org) – previously known as the San Diego Museum of Man: @museumofus on Twitter and @museumofallofus on Instagram
Bailey Jorgensen is a part of Cosplay For Science (cosplayforscience.com): @cosplay4science on Twitter and @cosplayforscienceon Instagram
Becca Peixotto mentioned Trowel Blazers (trowelblazers.com)- which highlights the contributions of women in the digging sciences (geology, archaeology, and paleontology) and encourages participation in these fields by women, especially from under-represented minorities.

Thanks to everyone who came to the panel at San Diego Comic-Con and especially those who asked such great questions afterward! We were glad to have the room at capacity but bummed to have to turn away so many people who waited in line for our panel.

In Star Warsologies, hosts James Floyd and Melissa Miller combine their love of Star Wars with their keen interest in all things academic by asking experts about how their field is represented in a galaxy far, far away. It’s a monthly podcast about science and other fields of knowledge and Star Wars!