Indiana Jones a great hero but awful archaeologist, says expert

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2008

SYDNEY (AFP) — Indiana Jones may provide great entertainment but he's an ethical nightmare as an archaeologist, the head of the World Archaeological Congress said Friday.

Professor Claire Smith from Australia's Newcastle University said the fourth instalment in the adventure series, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", would spur interest in archaeology around the globe.

But she said if the character played by Hollywood veteran Harrison Ford was a real archaeologist, his methods would face stern criticism from colleagues.

"In pursuit of 'fortune and glory' Jones ignores international treaties, treats human remains as weapons, and destroys archaeological sites in a bid to escape from potential entombment, and other worrisome possibilities,"...