Equipping Archaeology for the Post‐Truth, Fake News Era

Abstract

Archaeologists already have more experience comprehending and adapting to this new post- truth and fake news era than many. We have long been subjected to pseudoarchaeology, sensationalism, archaeology in popular culture, and media bias. In short, we are used to countering misunderstandings about the past. But the new post-truth era—a time in which many people appear to lack skills to determine good archaeology from bad, and real news from fake—poses new challenges. More importantly, we are in a time when facts aren’t as important as they once were. Having experience with misconceptions about the past should at least give archaeologists a foundation upon which to build concrete strategies to survive, and maintain academic integrity in the post-truth era. These include working within the system, resisting changes, and education. However,