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Pity the poor, misunderstood archaeologist, chained to painstaking years of research and field work only to live in the cultural shadow of the globetrotting, Nazi-battling adventurer Indiana Jones. Not ones to miss an opportunity, though, the leaders of the Archaeological Institute of America have dovetailed with the forthcoming release of Indiana Jones 4 to welcome franchise star Harrison Ford as a trustee. "The group promotes archaeological excavation, research, education and preservation worldwide," notes an AP dispatch. "AIA President Brian Rose says Ford's Indiana Jones character has played a major part in stimulating interest in archaeological exploration."

A rebel faction within the group is calling bullshit, however, alleging that even the Nazis did a better job of preserving antiquities in the series than its hero ever did:

"There are codes of ethics in archaeology, and I don't think he would be a member. Not in good standing, anyway," said Mark Rose, online editorial director for the Archaeological Institute of America. ...

Indiana Jones and other productions such as The Mummy and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider flicks benefit archaeology by getting general audiences thinking and talking about the ancient world, said Bob Murowchick, associate professor of archaeology at Boston University. But the movies emphasize the tomb-raiding aspect, leaving the impression that artifacts are there for the taking by whomever stumbles on them first, he said.

"The one thing we do worry quite a bit about is the looting aspect, because archaeological looting is really a serious issue," Murowchick said. "This kind of glorifying of breaking into a tomb and snagging a crystal this or golden that feeds into the notion that these are valuable objects, and we should all get it while we can."

We're no philistines; naturally, we side with Murowchick, whose own script treatment, Bob Murowchick and the Lost Crusade of the Tenure Track, is reportedly close to a franchise option at Sony. May he, too, land some day at Cannes, and may all his Hollywood dreams also come true — or, you know, at least historically accurate.