Archaeology Media

Indianapolis, IN

Representation of women in the media is imperative to the effort of gender equality in archaeology. Influenced heavily by Colonialism, archaeology is a profession that has a long history of being white and male-dominated both in the field and in academia. While positive steps have been taken over the last thirty years towards equality, there is still a shocking lack of female archaeologists portrayed in the media. Among the archaeology-based television shows aired in the United States in the last ten years, only one has reoccurring female archaeologists or a female host. This means that most of the public is exposed solely to male archaeologists. . In order to combat these statistics, a pilot episode of an archaeology television show highlighting women in the field was filmed by Anna Ahrens at the Jezreel Expedition in Israel. An increased representation of female archaeologists in the media effects the likelihood of women joining the field. With better media coverage and more balanced archaeology, the field of archaeology can benefit both publicly and professionally.