Archaeological Fantasies: How Pseudoarchaeology Misrepresents the Past and Misleads the Public

Including case studies, this collection of engaging and stimulating essays written by a diverse group of scholars, scientists and writers examines the phenomenon of pseudoarchaeology from a variety of perspectives.This edited volume examines the phenomenon of pseudoarchaeology from a variety of perspectives. The engaging and stimulating essays, written by a diverse group of scholars, scientists and writers, explore issues including:* the differences between real and pseudoarchaeology* pseudoarchaeology's increasing popularity and how the media, especially TV, has contributed to this* the warping of genuine archaeology to fit national and other agendas* pseudoarchaeology's potential risk to the genuine academic field of archaeology.Including case studies such as the supposedly mystical Maya, Nazi pseudoarchaeology, ancient pseudohistory in modern India, and surveys of esoteric Egypt, this fascinating text will appeal to students of archaeology and ancient history as well as being of interest [...]to the general reader.