{
  "id": 1980178,
  "title": "Don’t be an archaeologist in a movie if you want to survive",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/dont-be-an-archaeologist-in-a-movie-if-you-want-to-survive",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-19T17:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Scientist",
    "slug": "new-scientist",
    "url": "https://www.newscientist.com/article/2584792-dont-be-an-archaeologist-in-a-movie-if-you-want-to-survive/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Don't aspire to be an archaeologist in movies, as the perilous fate they face is well-documented. From Indiana Jones to Tomb Raider, archaeologists are tragically prone to demise, often in Egyptian-themed films where their odds of survival reach a grim 100%. Andy Chapman, a retired archaeologist, warns that their death toll in such films is alarmingly high, primarily due to encounters with cursed artifacts or mummies. The Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider franchises, in particular, have an unhealthy death rate for archaeologists, though the authors note that this may not apply to those lacking combat skills. While Andy himself has managed to stay alive through more mundane archaeological work, the risk remains ever-present in the world of film.",
  "summary": "Josie Ford Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more Archaeologists RIP In July, Feedback reported that geologist characters in movies were surprisingly likely to die, often from “work related” causes like volcanic eruptions, but remarkably frequently by murder. We wondered how other scientists fared. Andrew Hardwick flags…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}