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Indiana Jones: The Men Behind the Myth

Who Was Indiana Jones?

Evening Course

Monday, May 9, 2022 - 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. ET
Code: 1J0176A
Location:
This online program is presented on Zoom.
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$25
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Howard Carter and his sponsor, Lord Carnarvon, at the entrance to the burial chamber of Tutankhamun, 1922

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The Indiana Jones series is one of the most popular and iconic film franchises in the history of Hollywood. But just how accurate is it? Justin M. Jacobs, associate professor of history at American University, explores the history behind the cinematic legend, drawing on events from Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798 to the controversy over in the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1923. He also examines the antiquities trade in China. By the end of the saga, understand not only how major museums acquired their collections, but where and when the film franchise diverges or converges with historical realities.  

Jacobs is the author of several books, including Indiana Jones in History and The Compensations of Plunder: How China Lost Its Treasures. He is also the instructor for “World Heritage Sites: Exploring the World’s Greatest Places,” a 24-episode series for The Great Courses.

Session Information

Who Was Indiana Jones?

On the silver screen, Indiana Jones shoots, punches, and whips his way through the archaeological hot spots of the world to acquire priceless treasures for Western museums. But his real-life archaeological counterparts depended much more on the voluntary support of native elites and laborers to help them get what they wanted. Jacobs analyzes the dynamics of excavations and expeditions in the field, the role of museums in legitimizing the activities of archaeologists, the imperialist ideologies that animated the international antiquities trade, and the end of the archaeological free-for-all in the decades after World War I.

Additional Sessions

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