I mentioned earlier a very high figure of adult Swedes (22%) who say they have taken place in guided tours on excavation. I also reported that about half of a total (not representative) sample of Canadian households, and more than two thirds of those who would like more information about prehistoric archaeology be made widely available, would prefer this additional information to be conveyed by Visiting an archaeological dig (Pokotylo and Mason 1991). Both results may be related to the widespread desire of observing archaeologists in action. By the same token, Lisa Mackinney’s interviews suggested that her Californian sample of visitors was very keen to learn more about archaeological techniques. When asked what they would expect to do, see, feel, and find out about in an exhibit about archaeology, they had the following main expectations, which may partly overlap with their own interests (as indicated by Mackinney 1994b): Archaeological techniques and tools (34%), Artifacts (28%), Digging (18%), Hands-on (18%).

On the question whether they themselves had ever done what archaeologists do, 6% of the same visitors said they had been involved in Digging. According to the American survey (Ramos and Duganne 2002), 4.5% of all adult Americans claim to have already participated in an archaeological dig – a figure that strikes me as very high since it amounts to almost 10 million (!) people. Interestingly, in one of the Canadian studies (Pokotylo and Guppy 1999), nearly exactly the same proportion of people stated that they had participated in an archaeological excavation. Maybe both figures simply reflect a very wide definition of ”participation”. At any rate more realistic seems to be that 10% of the adult Americans would like to participate in an archaeological dig or other kind of archaeological project in the future. This is the equivalent of more than 20 million people. If the interest was the same in Europe – and there is no reason to expect a smaller figure – we are talking about 45 million people inside the European Union and more than 65 million people across the entire continent who would like to participate in an archaeological project.

Figure 4.3: Elvis on Archaeology Day. By Tony Cronstam 2004.

These figures may not be unbelievably high. Several surveys Channel 4 conducted among viewers of the incredibly successful British TV series Time Team, established that over 80% of its audience (more than 3 million people in the UK) would like to ”learn all about the processes involved in archaeology and do some practical excavation”.

Ordinarily, Gregory hated digging. Mud and rain; lunch in cold, draugthy huts; hands and knees work; muddy boots and treacherous duck-boards. … Still, there was always the fascination of the finds. At least there had always been that. To hold something in your hand immediately after its retrieval from a subterranean limbo, to establish some kind of direct bridge with the person who had lost it or thrown it away or made it, however many years before, that was quite something. Even Gregory had to admit that. He didn’t even really have to admit it, it was what had brought him to archaeology in the first place. Fitting the pieces together, like a jigsaw. Sometimes quite literally like a jigsaw. Jenkins (1998: 94)

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