The Artifacts

Often, the general public tends to confuse fiction with reality. In the four films of the Indiana Jones saga, the artifacts recovered by the famous archaeologist portrayed by Harrison Ford always belong to the realm of mythological and legendary treasures with supernatural powers. However, these same treasures are part of the anthropological, religious, and social context of various ancient cultures. The Ark of the Covenant is a real artifact for the Jewish people, the Sankara Stones represent the sacred Indian Lingam, the Holy Grail comes directly from medieval Christian tradition, the crystal skulls have been controversial since their discovery, and the Antikythera mechanism by Archimedes is still shrouded in mystery. Can we be sure that these are merely film artifacts? What happens if, for centuries, human society has considered them real? Can science refute this belief? Would it make a difference? Visitors learn to distinguish between truth and fiction in the archaeology of Indiana Jones.