Indiana Jones and the Lost Fedora

What is archaeology?  The official definition is a scientific study of human history and pre-history.  But what does archaeology mean to me?

Indiana Jones.

How many of us grew up watching Raiders of the Lost Ark?  Raise your hands.  Now, lower your hand because something likely popped.  Go roll some Bio Freeze on your shoulder.  Are you back and smelling of menthol?  Yes?  Glad to see you.  You are my people.

Who is Indiana Jones?  I know someone is asking that question and I’m cringing inside the same why I did when I answered the question, “Who is Paul McCartney?”  Indiana Jones is a fictional archaeologist that swung through jungles searching for lost treasures and fighting bad guys.  The first three movies are national treasures.  I refuse to acknowledge any Indiana Jones movie after The Last Crusade.  Harrison Ford played Indy to perfection as he lit up the screen wearing his fedora and cracking his whip.

Until I hit college and took an archaeology class, I really thought I was going to travel the world fighting bad guys and recovering lost artifacts. It belongs in a museum! If you know, you know.

Well…I had a lot to learn because the University of Tennessee class on archaeology I took had zero fight scenes and a lot of biology framework I was not prepared to study. And there’s a lot of dirt. Sifting. Heat. Bone studies and radiocarbon dating are more the norm than finding golden statues in South America.

Indiana Jones 0 – Real Life 1

While I never became a real archaeologist, with the help of thousands of hours of history documentaries and a wanderlust to travel, I have learned a few things about ancient places and the remnants of those civilizations.

As an admitted history-loving-dork, I’m going to share a few of the amazing ancient sites I’ve visited. I’ll also tell you about a few that I’m excited to plan trips for in the future.

Archaeological Sites I’ve Visited

Petra, Jordan

A rose-red city half as old as time – John William Burgon, Petra

My First Look at Petra

I’ve been blessed to travel to a lot of places. None have blown my mind quite as much as Petra.

In the closing acts of The Last Crusade, Indy and his companions travel to Petra, Jordan, entering the ancient city by horseback. The iconic cinematic shot of Indy traveling through the narrow canyons, called the Siq, resonated with me for decades. In 2022, I got to see Petra, and it exceeded my expectations.

The Ancient History of Petra

Petra is an ancient city built by the Nabateans in southern Jordan in the 5th century BC. The rose-colored sandstone is the canvas of the rock-cut architecture. Essentially, these ancient people created a city in a vast canyon and chiseled buildings from the sandstone cliffs.

Settlements date back to 7000 BC and continued through the Bronze Age. Petra was eventually a part of the Edomite kingdom during the Iron Age and became a stopping point for merchants and trade.

The area was eventually settled by the Nabateans, who were one of many Bedouin tribes that roamed the Arabian Desert. They created the city that we recognize today, though it was eventually absorbed into the Roman Empire in 106 AD.

One of the coolest things we saw while we were there were the different types of pottery shards still lying along the sandy ground. Depending on the thickness of the pottery, you can hold little bits of Nabatean and Roman history in your fingertips.

Petra Today

The ancient city of Petra was “discovered” by Europeans in 1812. In the last two centuries, Petra has been elevated to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The popularity of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade made Petra a tourist draw in the 20th century.

There is absolutely nothing in this world quite as wondrous as walking through the narrow Siq only to watch the light flood through the canyon to showcase the Treasury, or Al-Khazneh.

While we know the Treasury building, Petra is an enormous area of ancient ruins. What is amazing is that only 20% of Petra has been excavated.

Megiddo, Israel

It’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.

— Raiders of the Lost Ark

Armageddon. And I’m not talking about the meteor movie from the 90s.

That word has become a lexicon for the end times. We’re not here to talk about the end. I want to talk about a place where things began.

Megiddo is an ancient settlement in Israel overlooking the Jezreel Valley north of Jerusalem. So many civilizations established themselves in this one spot that they built upon each other, creating a mound.

That mound is officially called Tel Megiddo, or Har (Mount) Megiddo in Greek. Through the years, that transmuted to the pronunciation of Armageddon.

Presently, Megiddo is a national park in Israel and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than 20 different settlements/civilizations have settled on this mound, creating layer after layer of history to comb through.

The area is known as an ancient crossroads and has seen many settlements from the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Canaanites, the Egyptians, the Israelites, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Romans, and the Byzantines.

Perfectly positioned along trade routes of the Fertile Crescent, Megiddo is one of the very best examples of what archaeology really tells us about our history.

Pompeii, Italy

They’re digging in the wrong place! — Raiders of the Lost Ark

….Or the right place if we’re talking about Pompeii.

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered several cities. One of those cities was Pompeii, which sits south of modern-day Naples in Italy.

Within hours, the eruption caused 13 to 20 feet of volcanic ash to fall across the Roman city. It buried and preserved Pompeii until the 18th century AD, when the city was found and identified by an inscription reading, “Rei Publicae Pompeianorum.”

Today, the ancient city of Pompeii has been excavated and provides the most complete example of a wealthy Roman city. You can walk along the cobblestone streets and visualize the city layout, buildings, and homes.

The entire 170-acre area is stunning and still sits in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius as a reminder of a city that was lost and then discovered again.

The Acropolis in Athens, Greece

Whoever decided that Indiana Jones should wear a felt hat and a leather jacket in the jungles should have been shot. — Harrison Ford

Let’s talk about attire.

Before I start talking about the Acropolis and the treasures that sit on a hill high above Athens, Greece, I want to talk about what to wear. Indy would not have made it in the high heat of an Athens summer.

Did you know that the Acropolis shuts down midday during most of the summer because it is that hot? Well, now you do.

Fedoras may not be a wise wardrobe choice, but I do suggest a sun hat, light clothing, and plenty of sunscreen while drinking about a gallon of water.

Now that we have that bit of information, let me tell you about the Acropolis. Sitting mid-city, the rocky outcrop forces the eye to look up to see the ancient citadel.

The word Acropolis comes from the Greek meaning the “highest point of the city.” There are many acropolises throughout Greece, and I can think of two on Rhodes alone in Rhodes Town and Lindos.

But the Acropolis in Athens is special. The ruins of the Parthenon and other buildings transport you back to a time of ancient republics, philosophy, and civilization.

If you are fortunate enough to go to Athens, understand that you will walk up the hill to the top. That endeavor is not for the faint of heart. But once you get there, you can wander through the marble remains of ancient society.

Visit the archeological museum while you are there to see specific treasures of antiquity.

More Archaeological Sites Worth Visiting

X never marks the spot. — Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

I’ve only highlighted a few of my favorite archaeological sites. Here are the honorable mentions:

Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece

We visited this site when we stayed in Santorini. I’d never heard of it before our trip, and it’s amazing.

This is another city/civilization destroyed by a volcanic eruption. This time, it was the volcanic blast that almost destroyed Santorini in the 15th century BC.

The remnants of the city show a thriving culture full of art and pottery. The inscriptions still have not been translated because they are all in Linear A Greek, which has not been decoded after all these centuries.

Jerash, Jordan

Outside of Italy, Jerash is the best example of a Roman city and architecture. Sitting north of Amman, ancient columns decorate the still-preserved stone roads as you walk through the ruins of homes and temples.

I also want to give a shoutout to Amman. There are several wonderful ruins throughout the city, making it a beautiful blend of old and new.

Archaeological Sites in Israel

Period. You cannot step on a stone that does not have archaeological history in Israel.

The Old City is an ancient tel where multiple societies and civilizations have built upon each other. Another fascinating site is Tzipori in the Lower Galilee region.

Construction of the city was done in the 1st century AD. You can still see the grooves in the road where the Roman carts were drawn through the main thoroughfare.

Archaeological Sites on My Bucket List

You have chosen wisely. — Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Now that I’ve told you about the places I’ve been, let’s talk about the places I want to visit.

Turkey

There are two archaeological sites in Turkey that are on my bucket list: Ephesus and Gobekli Tepe. Each has its own merits, but both have a story to tell and history to unfold.

Crete, Greece

The Minoans were Europe’s first advanced civilization. Learning more about the people and structures would be amazing.

Egypt

All. The. Things.

I want to see it all. The pyramids at the Giza Plateau and the ruins of Luxor.

Again, I feel like Indy was a bit overdressed when they were digging in the sands of Egypt. I would not go in the summer, but I would definitely go.

Mesa Verde, Colorado, US

The ancient Pueblo culture built dwellings into cliffs that remain for us to view and explore in the present.

The Terracotta Army, China

There are thousands of life-sized warriors sculpted, each having unique faces and armor.

Stonehenge, England

Yes, it’s likely a tourist trap, but I’ve always wanted to see it.

What Indiana Jones Taught Me About Exploring History

It is something that man was not meant to disturb. — Raiders of the Lost Ark

So, what have we learned from Indiana Jones other than an understandable fear of snakes and how to outrun a giant boulder in the jungles of South America?

The short answer is everything.

It’s not that the filmmakers got everything right. What they did was inspire us to want to explore and learn more about ancient cultures. While the real world has its pitfalls, Indiana Jones lit a match of excitement when it comes to exploring and learning about how we became who we are as people through our history.

There are several treasures of antiquity that have never been found. Sometimes, I think we’re not meant to find these things because I don’t know how the world would react.

How would we receive the Ark of the Covenant if discovered tomorrow? Would we send it on a 25-city tour with commemorative mugs?

What about the remains of the Amber Room or the Scepter of Dagobert from the Basilica of Saint-Denis? If we found these treasures tomorrow, would we treat them with reverence or monetize the discovery?

Personally, I’m fine not knowing whether the Ark of the Covenant is under guard in Ethiopia or buried in some antechamber under the Old City of Jerusalem.

And if it’s ever found, please don’t treat it like Petra. As amazing as the archaeological complex is, people do not take care of the area. The Bedouins do their best, but visitors littering and not cleaning up after themselves was horrifying. It made me wish we, as humans, did not have access to something so beautiful.

What ancient sites would you want to visit, the next time you go?