Beyond Indy and Lara!
Gender and Archaeology in Popular Culture

Call for Chapters in an Edited Book: Whether portrayed as academic professionals, daring treasure hunters, alien-hunters, time travelers, or bumbling fools who awaken paranormal forces, archaeologists and archaeologically-themed characters loom large in the popular imagination as figures of romance and adventure. Yet outside the realm of film studies, relatively little critical attention has been concentrated upon the gendering of archaeology in 20th and 21st century pop culture. This interdisciplinary collection of essays will explore the intersection of archaeology with gender(s), gender identity, and other related topics (which might include feminism, queer theory, women’s studies, among others). We are interested in portrayals from a range of media and genres: games, television, graphic novels and traditional novels, art, films, design, and more.
We encourage submissions from all disciplines. Topics of possible interest include:
• Varieties of masculinity and femininity: archaeologists as muscular heroes or trickster rogues, as tomboys, femmes fatale, or damsels in distress
• Gendered dichotomies in the portrayals of scholars vs dabblers in any media (Indy and Marion, Evvie and Jonathon)
• The way media shapes the portrayal of archaeology and gender (adventure games vs. adventure film)
• Feminist archaeological theories of matriarchy, as found in The Mists of Avalon and other works
• Historical fiction and its portrayals of early women in archaeology, such as Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody
• Gendered effects of major archaeological discoveries on popular culture (Tutmania in men’s and women’s fashion)
• Gender-related themes as portrayed in popular works of nonfiction archaeology (television documentaries)
• Androgyny and/or asexuality in archaeologically-themed characters (Ra in Stargate)
To this end, we call for interested academics to submit a 500-word abstract to us by March 15, 2016 Please include a brief bio and a full CV that lists full contact information, including an email address. Authors will be notified if they are successful, by May 15, 2016. We will expect full papers (9,000 words, including references) by October 17, 2016.
For more information, please contact: Dr. Ruth McClelland-Nugent and Dr. Jennifer Trunzo,
at Rmcclel1@GRU.edu and jtrunzo@GRU.edu. Department of History, Anthropology, and Philosophy, Augusta University (formerly named Georgia Regents University), 1120 15th Street, Augusta, GA, 309012.