Story: Mady Neal
Photography: Laura Dudones
Anyone who has taken an anthropology or archaeology class at Miami will probably have heard of Dr. Jeb Card, a professor who is known for his unconventional approach of subject matter. From classes on catching Bigfoot to investigating urban legends of the supernatural, Card has spent his career attempting to alter the image of archaeology as a dusty and irrelevant past to show that, ultimately, this field is essential to understanding the present.
“I always liked science and history, and also solving mysteries. That’s what archaeology does— I’m going to answer a question by literally digging under rocks to figure out what’s there,” Card says. And the myth-busting element of any dig is especially relevant to what Card has been working on recently.
“I put out a book last year called Spooky Archaeology: Myth and the Science of the Past, with the catch line sort of asking why things like ancient aliens, the mummy's curse, and Indiana Jones exist, and why do they matter,” Card says.
Even though most of these myths aren’t exactly true, Card explains that a lot of these come from the history and practices of those in the archaeology field itself, and also from the cultural and social climates of the time.
“I really think a lot of these not-mainstream beliefs are especially important to understand our culture” Card says.
According to recent surveys, American fears of the paranormal (ex. aliens, ghosts, Bigfoot, etc.) are continuing to rise at unprecedented rates. Card has spent many years investigating why Americans cling to these beliefs and seems to think that they mirror our overarching fears for our country’s future.
“Many of the sociopolitical issues that people are starting to recognize that are going wrong in our society, like trust in institutions and our desire to avoid compromise, seem to be directly related to those [everyday] fears” Card says. “And, I think also the belief in the paranormal creates some of that other sociopolitical fear.”
Since the earliest recorded history, Card has believed that myths are not completely untrue but instead are rooted in what preoccupies the dark recesses of our minds. In ATH 145, Card refers to the castle of King Minos at Knossos and its basement full of murals and mosaics of bulls as the basis for the real Minotaur myth. Whether or not a hero and a spool of string ever roamed those halls will probably remain uncertain forever.
Ultimately, the question of why we continue to believe in myths and conspiracy theories is exactly what is helping to maintain archaeology’s importance in today’s society. And projects like 3D-scanning and printing only help to make the past more tangible to students. Miami has been scanning artifacts since 2012, but what is even more valuable is the online network of similar 3-D scans, which professors like Card can print copies of and use to teach with.
“Things that we don’t have are put up online. I have a little magical egyptian robot called a shanti that is basically like Alexa for the afterlife. I don’t [actually] have one of those, but I printed one off,” Card says. “So when I taught students about ancient Egypt, I was able to pass it around in class, and they can actually feel the hieroglyphs carved into its surface.”
Card believes the continuation of this project will be revolutionary for the field. The idea that in a few years, professors all over the world will be able to teach using copies of thousands of artifacts is helping to demystify the past and spark enthusiasm among students.
“Archaeology is material. The basic definition of archaeology is understanding past humans through the material remains of their activities. Or a simpler way of saying that is just going through dead people’s trash,” Card says.
Undigging the past is useful in understanding the present and may shed some light on why certain scary stories still keep modern day Americans up at night, centuries after these tales came into being. Just like the 3D artifacts that concretize remnants of the past, these myths also keep our predecessors alive.
But whether or not Dr. Card actually believes in the supernatural himself is something that remains shrouded in mystery.
“My opening stance cannot be, ‘Well, is this all a lie,’ because science doesn’t work that way. We have to start by doubting everything, which opens up the possibility that these things could be there,” Card says. “I would generally answer ‘No,’ but there are some things I have looked into that I understand the history of, but there are certain aspects where I’m not saying I believe anything, but there’s not an easy answer. It’s probably culture, but there are a few things that are really weird…”