8th August 2012, 11:11 AM
I have come to the conclusion that it is the fact that archaeologists mess with the ancient (an not so ancient) dead that is the problem. Disturbing the dead is taboo in a lot of cultures and even in those with no prescription against it at a personal sub conscious level is regarded as bad. In reality there are many archaeologists who are not and never will be involved in excavation of human remains but the image persists. I was personally surprised to see the discomfort of members of the public in a normal British cemetery undertaking a cemetery survey. In the 21st century death is a taboo subject, archaeologist break the taboo so in popular culture have to take the consequences (all this is personal opinion)