Category: Archaeology News

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AngelMounds.Org Websites

As described elsewhere on this website, I serve on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Angel Mounds, a volunteer non-profit that partners with the Angel Mounds State Historic Site in southern Indiana.  I’ve recently become the group’s webmaster and (informally) online communications officer.

We’ve just completed a major overhaul of the Friends of Angel Mounds web presence.  Check it out at http://www.angelmounds.org/ .  We’ve also launched a new YouTube channel. The new channel features a brand-new documentary video titled “Angel Mounds: Gateway to the Past” that we’re really proud of.  Check it out!

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Bigfoot DNA? I don’t think so…

(Originally posted: 7/21/2013)

I haven’t posted anything here in several months because, for the most part, I haven’t had anything of interest to say.  But a few days ago, I came across an article online that just caught me completely off guard, and upset me to boot.  I teach a class in physical anthropology that includes a unit on paleoanthropology, and in trawling the internet for interesting tidbits to relate to the calss I came across “Bigfoot genome paper ‘conclusively proves’ that Sasquatch is real” and its follow-up “How the attempt to sequence ‘Bigfoot’s genome’ went badly off track.”  My response is past the break. Continue reading “Bigfoot DNA? I don’t think so…”

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Success at the National Geographic Society!

(Originally posted: 6/27/2012)

It appears that the public and professional outcry against National Geographic Channel’s show “Diggers” (which I reviewed a few months ago) has paid off.  Fred Limp, President of the Society for American Archaeology, has posted a letter on the SAA website describing a new direction for the show.  NatGeo has agreed to revise the show to remove most of the egregious for-profit looting!  Read Limp’s full letter here (PDF).

Unfortunately, still no word on SpikeTV’s even more offensive “American Digger.”

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Looting, for fun and profit!

(Originally posted: 2/28/2012)

Two soon-to-air basic cable reality shows are set to feature for-profit treasure hunters as they dig up and sell archaeological materials. While both shows are no doubt following the letter of the law, they are inexcusably unethical, and will no doubt lead to far too many copycat looters destroying our archaeological heritage. What can you do? Read the full post to find out! Continue reading “Looting, for fun and profit!”