Pseudoarchaeology Talk in Uppsala on Thursday

Posted by Martin R on November 2, 2010
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Two days ago I talked about four Scandy writers of pseudoarchaeological books at the Kritisk masse conference in Oslo: Bob G Lind, Lennart Möller, Erling Haagensen and Thor Heyerdahl. Despite being largely composed of Norwegians, the audience seemed unperturbed by my unflattering views of Heyerdahl’s archaeological contributions. He is a national hero and the museum celebrating his achievements is (tellingly) just a stone’s throw from the Viking ship museum in Oslo. Them Norwegians like their maritime identity! But I don’t think the country’s skeptics are being fooled, as shown i.a. by my colleague Jørgen Bøckman’s great talk about modern Viking mythology. His brother Petter’s talk about cryptozoology was really good too, though he talked a bit too fast for this poor Swede.

On Thursday night 4 November I am speaking on the same theme as two days ago in Uppsala to an audience of Christians, skeptics and Christian skeptics. Come and hear me and say hi! I don’t know what the door fee is, but the venue is Missionskyrkan on Sankt Olofsgatan 40. I start talking at seven o’clock.

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Comments

  1. #1 Aurnab Arc
    November 2, 2010

    I know so far the media and the agenda of Representation enables and inspired any Archaeologist or Past researcher to make a fake one about the past as the counting of Stars of the Sky. As any one from the Archaeologist try to make or reconstruct the history or if he inspired by the theme of Golden Age or so it could be dangerous as done the fake researcher . Thanks to your sir dear Dr. Martin Rundkvist go ahead with your own will woe as followed by some others the Archaeologist of the new generation. In the perspective of reality it is not an easy task to realize the past with the help of a few fragile remains left by the than people for the Archeologist also alter and and change by a number of human and natural process. So it’s really a crucial duty for any Archaeologist to stand by with truth and ethics thus may possible as he could be sustain in own strong aim specially pure in methods an techniques .

  2. #2 Alex
    November 2, 2010

    If you mean Jørgens real brother, his name is Petter Bøckman, zoologist of “homosexuality in nature” fame. Did they have big beards? Btw, Jørgen’s quite a qualified blacksmith / silversmith as well. And their dad makes the best beer in the world, EVAH!

    How bizarre to be reading about my good old friends from Norway on a science blog by a Swede, sitting in Australia, some 20 years later. I friggin’ love the internet!

  3. #3 owlfarmer
    November 2, 2010

    I’m glad to hear there are Christian skeptics in your neck of the woods. Not so much here, where folks believe what they hear from their neighbors, never check for verification, and then attack the rest of us as godless heathens (or liberals).

    I’m teaching humanities for the first time in several years and have already had to defend my skeptical views on who built pyramids, stone henges, et alia,ad infinitum.

    Sigh.

  4. #4 Martin R
    November 2, 2010

    Who built the pyramids and Stonehenge then, in their opinion?

  5. #5 Erika
    November 2, 2010

    Don’t really qualify as a Christian, but I’m going to come listen to you anyway on Thursday. Looking forward to it!

  6. #6 ArchAsa
    November 3, 2010

    Good venue – that’s where Arkeologikonsult had their Uppsala office back in the day! I think I might be able to sneak off and hear you this time, as the kids’ father is actually home for once.

  7. #7 Birger Johansson
    November 3, 2010

    Can we please set the pseudo-science crowd against the populist-politician crowd so the rest of us can live in peace safe from their bulls*¤&@*t ?
    — — — — —
    (OT) Martin, in honour of your musician brother: Rock band http://www.xkcd.com/359/

  8. #8 Carl H
    November 4, 2010

    Please debunk Heyerdahl on this blog. It would be great. I’ve been to the Kon Tiki museum as a kid and would be very greatful.

  9. #9 Martin R
    November 4, 2010

    *sings*

    Everyting you want, you got it
    Everything you need, you got it
    Anything at all, you got it
    BAAAAA-BEEEEE

    http://scienceblogs.com/aardvarchaeology/2010/11/thor_heyerdahl_and_hyperdiffus.php

  10. #10 owlfarmer
    November 4, 2010

    In re: comment 5. The scientifically illiterate (a major portion of the population of Texas, thanks to the abysmal practices of the board of education) think that anything they can’t understand or do themselves has to have been accomplished by 1) aliens, 2) gods, 3) a superior antediluvian culture.

    Thanks for the Heyerdahl material, by the way. Haven’t thought about his stuff in a very long time (40 years or so), but he was a pop topic in my (misspent) youth.