Ask an Archaeologist: Mummies, Ghosts, and Aliens

Ask an Archaeologist is a new YouTube series dedicated to answering your questions about Archaeology.  The series is based on questions submitted by viewers. Viewer’s questions are then answered by professional archaeologists with years of experience.

Happy Halloween from everyone here at the American Schools of Oriental Research! Recently, I sat down with Boston University’s Professor of Archaeology, Curtis Runnels, to find the answers to some of Ask an Archaeologist’s more spooky questions.

We picked three viewer submitted questions for Professor Runnels to answer.

1. Has anyone ever faked a discovery? What was the biggest archaeological faux pas?
2. Have you or any of your colleagues been hunted/attacked/killed by an ancient curse?
3. Is there any theoretical validity in the interpretation of alien presence in the material record?

Check out the video below to see Professor Runnels’ answers, and read on to find out what he had to say about things that go bump in the night.

“I actually saw a UFO.”

Professor Runnels said it was just like you always hear. The UFO flew in a strange way and didn’t make any sound. “I just saw something I wasn’t supposed to see,” he said.

Though once he started thinking about it, he had spotted the UFO during a NATO operation in Kosovo. Professor Runnels says, he believes it was an early version of a drone, and not an alien spacecraft. “Now everyone knows about drones, but in those days they were secret,” he explains.

He went on to talk about the amount of experimental military programs happening in the 50’s and 60’s, during a time when a lot of people were seeing UFO’s. He stated some people say that the military let the rumor flourish so there would be confusion on what they were doing. Professor Runnels says this is what he believes because he finds this explanation more credible than visitors from space.

Based on the sheer size of the universe, Professor Runnels says, of course there is theoretical validity to extraterrestrials. Though he reaffirms, it’s all theories and based on the numbers. Though the numbers are in the favor of there being life among the stars, there has never been  any evidence or proof to his knowledge. When asked if an archaeologist would attempt to hide evidence of aliens, he said he doesn’t believe that would happen.

“In this world, where there’s so much competition for federal support, and money, and fame, and everything else. I think any archaeologist who discovered a ray gun in their archaeological dig would be the first ones to publicize it, because they would want to take the credit for the discovery.”

To Professor Runnels, the fact that no legitimate archaeologist has ever come forward with any extraterrestrial find is a testimony to the fact that there’s no evidence of ancient aliens having visited Earth. “They’re not covering it up. They would love to find [alien] things,” he said with a bit of a chuckle.

“I’ve seen a ghost too,” added Professor Runnels.

No he didn’t see a ghost at an archaeological site, or because of curse. Though, Professor Runnels has developed a theory on ghosts. He isn’t sure how to test his hypothesis, but thinks he has figured out what’s really happening when you see something that goes bump in the night.

Before he’d tell us about his ghost experience, he explained the evolution of ghosts. “In ancient times if someone saw a ghost or misty figure, they would have thought it was a god or goddess. Then in medieval times it would be an angel. It was only in the 19th century that they became ‘ghosts.’” He says, “We are seeing something.”

Professor Runnels then explained his theory. When people see ‘a ghost,’ it’s actually their dream world or subconscious breaking through into consciousness. Normally you’re either dreaming or you’re awake. He says these are things you’d see in your dreams, and that has lead to his hypothesis of sometimes your brain experiencing a dream while you’re awake. He said,“It’s only under a period of stress or unusual circumstances.” The images often look like something you’d expect it to look like because it’s an image you have in your visual cortex already.

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” says Professor Runnels. He says that’s so much easier than believing that there are ghosts running around.

“I select the logical simplest answer,” explained Professor Runnels, “It’s easier to believe that you could be dreaming while you think you’re awake than to believe that there’s this other world of ghosts that just happen to come into your apartment.”

If you have any questions you’d like answered by an archaeologist, feel free to comment below. You can also submit questions on our Facebook page or tweet us with #AskAnArchaeologist. If you’re an archaeologist who’d like to help out by answering some of the questions submitted, please e-mail me. We’re always accepting questions and planning future episodes.

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