The American survey (Ramos and Duganne 2002) began by asking the open question ”What do you think of when you hear the word ’archaeology’?” The single most common association was with Digging. All associations with digging in some form or other (including Digging artifacts or bones) amount to a full 59%. Associations with particular finds form a second group: Dinosaurs/Dinosaur bones (10%), Bones (9%), Artefacts (8%). The past itself was not explicitly associated all that often: History, heritage, and antiquity (12%), Ancient cultures and civilizations (8%).

Figure 4.1

The most recent Canadian survey (Pokotylo 2002) began likewise with an open question about associations with the word ”archaeology”, and came to broadly similar results. Excavations/Digs were the single most popular association (39%), followed by particular kinds of finds: Sites/ruins/artefacts (29%), Dinosaur bones/fossils (21%), Dinosaurs (17%), Human bones (10%). Near the bottom of the list were associations with the past as such: Ancient past (14%), Heritage/History (13%).

An earlier Canadian study asked a very similar question but categorised the answers in a slightly different way (Pokotylo and Guppy 1999). Again, various ways of doing archaeology were most often associated with archaeology. Study the past using archaeological record, methods was the most popular association (21%), with Excavations being very common too (17%). 20% associated Study the past, ancient society, civilizations and 11% Antiquity/history/heritage, but here only 9% of the answers were classified as associating Artifacts/sites/ruins.

A similar trend was shown in Lisa Mackinney’s interviews (Mackinney 1994a). When her sample of visitors of the California Academy of the Sciences was asked what came to mind when they heard the word ”archaeology”, many, again, referred to Digging (32%). In this case, associations with the past came second: Past (28%), Ancient civilizations/cultures (24%). Specific kinds of finds and individual sites trailed the list: Fossils (20%), Bones (18%), Buildings (12%), Artifacts (10%), Specific sites in Egypt (10%). This was broadly confirmed also by Anders Högberg’s (forthcoming) survey of 50 adults in southern Sweden. He, too, asked about associations with archaeology and received most frequently answers referring to excavating/excavation tools (26%), followed by finding ancient artifacts (16%), investigating/researching (9%) and references to specific ancient cultures (9%). References to the past generally were made in 7% of the supplied answers. Interestingly, Högberg was also able to confirm an earlier study (André et al 2001) which argued that the interest in archaeological fieldwork can come in two different forms that merge in the image of the digging archaeologist. On the one hand, there is a fascination with its exotic, strange and thrilling aspects, and on the other hand, there is an even more popular fascination with the down-to-earth and craft-like character of archaeology. The overall trend that archaeology is predominantly associated with a particular research process, particularly digging/excavation, is confirmed by all these studies.

The only exception from this trend I am aware of is Nick Merriman’s British survey. He asked respondents on his questionnaire to ”write down what the word ’Archaeology’ means” to them, and then categorised the wide range of answers given. Most frequently mentioned were The Past (62%), Ruins or Objects (53%), followed by Digging (45%), and Study or Research (43%). Discovery received mentionings by as few as 10% of the sample (Merriman 1991: 98). I cannot possibly guess why these answers show such a different pattern, although it has to be said that in absolute terms the proportion of respondents associating archaeology with discovery is not lower but actually higher than in the other surveys.

Being asked specifically, in an open question, what archaeologists ”do” in their work, more than a third of the Californian visitors (38%) stated again that they Dig (Mackinney 1994a). The next popular responses were Use artifacts to piece together how ancient cultures or civilizations lived (26%), Find artifacts (24%), and Work hard (18%!). When asked a similar open question, the American adults, too, emphasised, through a wide variety of answers given, that archaeologists are digging and discovering archaeological sites, artifacts or bones, or uncovering ancient civilizations (Ramos and Duganne 2002). However, the single most common answer was Analyzing and researching the past to discover and learn what life/past civilizations were like (25%). It is impossible to tell though whether the answers subsumed under this category actually meant ”learning about the human past” or rather ”discovering secrets of ancient civilizations”, or whether they may have been deliberately ambiguous in that respect. Whereas the former alternative could be taken to refer to a genuine interest in knowledge derived from academic scholarship, the second might suggest instead a fascination with revealing lost treasures and ancient mysteries. Although this distinction may not be one people make themselves, the two interests are not identical (see chapter 5).

Figure. 4.2

In a subsequent question, all those American adults who had earlier acknowledged an interest in the past (76%), were then asked the open question what it was that interested them personally about archaeology. 45% stated that they were interested in learning about the human past and how people lived, 18% mentioned history, and only 14% referred to the thrill and sense of discovery, 12% to finding old things, and another 12% to ancient civilizations. This result should not though be taken uncritically as indication for a strong interest in academic modes of knowledge about the past. In questions that impinge on educational norms and social status, there is always a problem with people’s self-assessments due to a tendency to try and meet expectations of the interviewer. (When first asked how interested you are in archaeology and you were happy to signal some or even considerable interest, you may immediately afterwards feel compelled to qualify this interest by saying that you are interested in learning about the past – referring to discovering treasures and solving mysteries could be perceived as disqualifying what you had said first.)

When a Canadian sample of households was asked to specify what archaeologists do (Pokotylo and Mason 1991), the two answers most commonly selected were Study lifeways of past cultures (64%) and Excavation of valuable art objects (43%). Here again, I am unsure as to what this tells us in relation to the perception of archaeology and archaeologists. The preformulated answers do not allow to distinguish clearly between ”learning about the human past” (the archaeologist as scholar), ”excavating artifacts of past cultures” (the archaeologist as detective or collector), and ”discovering treasures” (the archaeologist as adventurer and treasure hunter).

Forward to People (would) enjoy ”doing” archaeology themselves

Discussion

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