I wrote this book less as a single, coherent argument and more as a series of interrelated essays, dealing in turn with particularly important aspects of my subject. In this introduction I introduced my project and outlined some broader trends and developments in both society and archaeology. Chapter 2 takes the form of a travel log from one of my fact-finding missions, in this case to the U.K. It demonstrates the variety and omnipresence of archaeology in daily life and popular culture. Of particular significance to Western popular culture are the mass media, especially television and newspapers, and these I will turn to in Chapter 3. There are both general trends in the way the media portray archaeology as well as a few pecularities for each of the three countries I have been looking at in detail. However, what the media show may not be the same as what their audiences actually know and like about archaeology. Chapter 4 is therefore discussing the (relatively few) existing opinions polls and surveys of people’s perceptions of archaeology and archaeologists. Chapter 5 reviews a wide range of popular culture representations, including movies, fiction and non-fiction literature. Four key themes of what archaeology is about are introduced and discussed. What are professional archaeologists to make of these themes and associated stereotypes? In chapter 6, I will discuss the main strategies available to archaeologists in engaging with their popular representations. Finally, chapter 7 is going to present a summary of the previous argument and an outlook for future practice. I will be concluding that a socially relevant archaeology needs to take (more) seriously where the popular demand and the appeal of archaeology actually lie.

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