The cult of Archaeology

Hollywood and folklore has created a skewed view of archaeology. Film characters like Indiana Jones and Lara Croft influence the public into believing that archaeology is something that its not. More often than not, when I tell someone that I'm studying archaeology, they don't truly understand what the field is actually about. However, if films like Indiana Jones were never made, many wouldn't know about archaeology at all. While many archaeologists agree that Indiana Jones does not represent a good archaeologist, Harrison Ford still serves as a General trustee of the AIA. Is is not completely unethical for the AIA to have Harrison Ford, the actor who portrays a character that represents a fantastical version of an archaeologists, a member of their organization. What does Harrison Ford actually know about archaeology anyway?
Archaeologists can't have it both ways. They can't complain about the false portrayal of their occupation and then openly accept it because it promotes the feild.


Moreover, many archaeological sites depend on the outlandish legends and folklore that surround the sites. For example, there is a new movie coming out called 2012. In the trailer, they show a Mayan site and the group suicide of modern-day Mayans because of the apocolypse. Not only is it racist, it is also spreading false history. The authors who have been profiting off of this false prophecy are charlatans. Archaeology is polluted with these people who profit off of falsifying history by claiming that the pyramids and stone henge were constructed by aliens. It is completely unethical to pass this information off as fact because there are always people out there who will believe it. For example, apparently NASA had to release a statement saying that the world will not end in 2012 because people were actually scared and concerned due to the release of the film.
http://www.scifisquad.com/2009/10/23/phew-nasa-says-the-world-is-not-ending-in-2012/

People thrive over urban legends and folklore, so much so that archaeological sites profit off it. Stone Henge is one example, but there are other less obvious ones. There are archaeological investigations on the disappearance of Amelia Earheart, whose mysterious disappearance is the subject of many myths. The site of Troy in Turkey gets most visitors due to the fact that it is rumoured to be the site of the great war as told by Homer in his epic poem The Iliad. Is it ethical to promote archaeology through myth and legend if it sparks an interest with the general public? Or should archaeology just be about facts?