Encountering Material Culture Through Archaeological Fiction : Wonderful Things in Literature, Film and Media / Kerry Dodd.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dodd, Kerry, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Archaeology in literature.

Fiction--History and criticism.

Fiction.

Film criticism.

Motion pictures--History.

Motion pictures.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (295 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Distribution:

London : Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), 2024.

Place of Publication:

London : Bloomsbury Academic, 2024.

System Details:

text file HTML

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Cover

Contents

List of figures

Acknowledgements

Introduction: The wonder of things

Part 1 Relics

1 Tomb raiding: In pursuit of artefactual treasure

2 Relics reborn: Animating objects and mummies

3 From rubbish to relic: Trash, nostalgia and space junk

4 Alien artefacts: Ancient astronauts and revisionary histories

Part 2 Exhibition

5 Curios and collections: Cabinets of curiosity, museums and exhibitions

6 After-hours at the archive: Private encounters and museum mythologies

7 Heritage tourism: Preservation, conservation and transformation

Part 3 Adventure

8 Lost worlds: Subterranean fiction, imperial romance and hidden cities

9 Ruin reflections: Abandoned, industrial and post-apocalyptic architecture

10 Xenoarchaeology: Material estrangement and alien civilizations

Conclusion: Things of wonder

Works cited

Index.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

9781350367449

1350367443

9781350367456

1350367451

9781350367432

1350367435

OCLC:

1458758556