History Main / AdventurerArchaeologist

%%* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
%%** In a few stories, Captain Picard gets to air out his Adventurer Archaeologist side.
%%** [[http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Vash Vash]]: love interest of Jean-Luc Picard, partner of Q.

* Jason Call from ''VideoGame/ShadowGuardian'', an ex-soldier turned journalist and treasure hunter, who spends the whole game infiltrating ancient tombs, taking down enemy mercenaries in shootouts and fighting giant monsters to prevent a doomsday device from falling into the wrong hands. The game is inspired by the then-recent ''Uncharted'' franchise, and Jason is a rather blatant Nathan Drake {{expy}}.
* Lara Croft from the ''Franchise/TombRaider'' games and [[Film/LaraCroftTombRaider movies]]. In fairness, when she gets into these kinds of situations, she's usually chasing far more powerful enemies seeking artifacts. Both the movies and games occasionally had a BigBad wanting to abuse some mystical power - in other words, Lara Croft isn't so concerned about preserving the ancient ruins because she's in a race against time to keep some villain from using a powerful artifact with horrendous consequences.

* Although Nathan Drake from the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' is considered by some to be an archaeologist, not a single character in the series calls what he does 'archaeology'. They all refer to him as a thief, and they're absolutely right, though [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI he'd probably prefer "treasure hunter"]]. It's just that sometimes treasure is inside museums, or under guard by heavily-armed mercenaries. [[spoiler:Funnily enough, the series actually ends with him transitioning ''into'' legal, more realistic archaeology.]]

* ''Barbie Explorer'', an action/adventure game from the ''Franchise/{{Barbie}} Software'' line.
* Phoebe from ''VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}'' has a great interest in the ancient Eldrid {{Precursors}} known as the Aztanti and the various mysteries associated with them. As such, she has a fondness for going on expeditions into Aztanti ruins. Whether it's going to recover an Aztanti skeletal relic to serve as the base for her fellow Battleborn Kelvin's physical form as detailed in his and Miko's lore challenges, or exploring deep within the bowels of Ekkunar to discover secrets as what happens in her DLC Story Operation, Phoebe is always up for an adventure into the ruins of the ancient precursor civilization.
* The main characters of the ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' series in the most technical sense. They're Vault Hunters, searching for ancient Eridian Vaults hidden in Pandora and in the process finding tremendous power, loot, and knowledge.
** Maya from ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' is a more specific example, as she is traveling the galaxy to learn more about Sirens like herself, and Pandora has close connections to Sirens and their powers.
** Continued in ''VideoGame/Borderlands3'', which expands the scale to multiple Vaults across multiple planets, in search of an even greater Vault. In this case, both the academic and profit motives take a back seat to that of keeping the Great Vault out of the hands of [[BigBadDuumvirate the Calypso Twins]].
* The Guild of Archeologists in ''VideoGame/DiscworldNoir'' is a lot like this. It may be notable that their spokesperson is a young woman named "Laredo Cronk".
* The "[[Franchise/IndianaJones Jones]]" class in ''VideoGame/TheDungeonOfDoom''.
* ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor'' - The Archeology skill tree is chock full of shout outs to ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' (you even start the game with a familiar hat), but the only exploration and taking of valuable ancient artifacts you do is for your own survival, and anything you're not currently equipped with is probably getting sold.
* The titular hero of ''VideoGame/TheCliffhangerEdwardRandy'' is as close a CaptainErsatz of Indy as it can get, being an adventurer in the 1930s who explore ruins and goes around beating up enemy mooks using his whip, while trying to stop a warlord called "Black Ogre" from stealing a powerful AncientArtifact to TakeOverTheWorld. There's even a tank boss in the desert stage which homages the third Indy film.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', the [[PlayerCharacter Nerevarine]] has the opportunity to be this as part of Edwinna Elbert's Mages Guild quest line. You'll collect rare [[OurDwarvesAreDifferent Dwemer]] items and schematics from dangerous ruins, as well as check in on an actual archaeologic expedition at a Dwemer ruin. If you collect a set of unique books throughout these quests and take them to a knowledgeable scholar, you can come up with [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence the best]] [[GoneHorriblyWrong theory]] to date about why the Dwemer [[RiddleForTheAges disappeared]].
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', there are many Ayleid ruins scattered across Cyrodiil, some of which involved in quests while the others are simply there to provide you some treasure (and trap)-filled dungeons to explore. Umbacano's quest specifically invokes this trope, as it involves the Hero exploring a good dozen of those ruins to find specific ancient artifacts.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', the [[PlayerCharacter Dragonborn]] will engage in this, especially during the College of Winterhold questline, but there's also Katria from the ''Dawnguard'' expansion. Katria dedicated her life to locating the Aetherium Forge, which is split into a number of shards all over Skyrim. The catch is that Katria's life was cut short by a Dwemer automaton, but her ghost will assist you through the quest. Once you help her complete her life's work (and prove her apprentice as a fraud), she thanks you as a friend and wishes you luck in your adventures before fading away.
* ''VideoGame/{{Egoboo}}'' has an Archaeologist class that is directly derived from Franchise/IndianaJones and all of its other CaptainErsatz and hommage characters like VideoGame/{{Spelunky}} and [[VideoGame/LaMulana Lemeza Kosugi]] with a whip, a fedora and according skills.
* ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'' begins with the hero and his RobotGirl sidekick getting permission to explore a crashed spaceship... that they were recovered from when he was a baby.
* Dr. Edwin Linsey in the sixth chapter of ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness''.
* One career path in ''VideoGame/EVEOnline''. Recovering artifacts is part of exploration, and it can be dangerous - as with most things in EVE, the best sites are in low-security space, exposing any would-be archaeologist to attack by pirates. Also, EVE archaeologists are less concerned with studying history and more concerned with finding useful bits of LostTechnology.
* In ''VideoGame/FableII'' there is a series of artifact fetch quests you can perform for archaeologist Belle Rennock - likely a reference to Rene Belloq from ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''.
* Locke from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' represents the thief class in the game and has the "steal" command. [[InsistentTerminology But you'd better call him a treasure hunter]] [[BerserkButton or he'll rip your lungs out]]!!!
* The original idea of sphere hunters in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'' was this - dive into the ruins, grab the recording sphere, haul it back to a historian and let the contents be known. Within only a couple of years, however, it seems to have devolved into a mixture of this, tomb robbery, and a bit of out-and-out piracy, and that's just the heroes.
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'', in the mission to recruit Montblanc. The reason he went to Jylland was treasure hunting. However, after Montblanc learned the treasures were already ''found'' by Luso, he says "Please, kupo, let's be realistic here. My life is more than bauble-hunting!"
* The {{Mooks}} in the Flash game ''VideoGame/GuardianRock'' also qualify, though they have antagonizing roles.
* The Durmand Priory from ''VideoGame/GuildWars2''. They vowed to seek ancient artifacts (Dwarf artifacts especially) in order to find a way to defeat the Elder Dragons.
* Henry Hatsworth, from ''VideoGame/HenryHatsworthInThePuzzlingAdventure''.
* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Infidel}}'' is a deconstruction, a greedy treasure hunter whose only interest in the pyramid he's exploring is the valuable treasures it may contain, and who is acting as a lone adventurer only because he's such a jerkass the rest of his expedition abandoned him and went home. [[spoiler: His ambitions lead to a DownerEnding when he sets off a trap that leaves him BuriedAlive with no hope of rescue.]]
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'', one of the 2015 annual familiars available to donors at Mr. Store is the Indiana Jones-esque Adventurous Spelunker, who increases money and item drops, attacks with his whip, and drops an item that gives access to a ''VideoGame/{{Spelunky}}''-inspired mini-game.
* In ''VideoGame/KultHereticKingdoms'', Joran Cynessa ''claims'' to be this, telling people who wonder why he's in a warzone that he intrepid ventured there for the sake of his work. Of course, if he happens to find a few interesting weapons along the way, selling them to carefully screened, discerning buyers is a perfectly respectable way to finance his work. (He's actually just a weapons smuggler.)
* Professor Alba of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'' starts out as a subversion. As Estelle and Joshua encounter him in numerous ruins across the world, he is the typical absent-minded academic, possessing no offensive power of his own and needing to be kept safe on escort missions. [[spoiler:Then, at the ''very'' end of First Chapter, he is revealed to be the BigBad of the series. When Estelle confronts him in ''SC'', he reveals that his archaeologist credentials are real, ultimately making him a double subversion. Too bad he wants to use his knowledge to unleash the Aureole upon Liberl.]]
* Zelda, and to a lesser extent Link, in the backstory for ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. Zelda traveled the kingdom researching the dilapidated ruins of Old Hyrule and the LostTechnology associated with that civilization. She was the original owner of the Sheikah Slate, and was very annoyed to find that the Shrines were only designed to work for the hero bonded to the Master Sword.
* Subverted in ''Franchise/MassEffect'' with Dr. Liara T'Soni. When you first meet her, she's a meek, shy scientist that's fallen foul of one of the death traps in the ruin she's excavating. Once she's off-planet, however, she's able to keep up with three trained marines, a former Special Forces soldier and a thousand-year-old krogan battlemaster. In the second game she's switched career paths and is now an up-and-coming information broker. Her personal DLC sees her [[spoiler:killing and replacing the most influential information trader in the galaxy, promoting herself to Illusive Man-level mover and shaker.]]
** When asked about how traveling with Shepard's crew compares to her previous work, Liara laments that she'd be happier with more exploration time and fewer explosions.
** Referenced again in Lair of the Shadow Broker. Liara comments at one point that information trading isn't that different from archaeology, in that you're sifting mountains of refuse for a few valuable scraps - however, dead bodies tend to smell a bit more when they're not thousands of years old. Later in the DLC, a search of her apartment will turn up a framed copy of her doctorate (another character comments that "she really got her money's worth out of that education"), a painting of the ruins on Ilos, and several display-cased Prothean artifacts.
** One of the uncharted worlds mentions the planet is occupied by a Volus billionaire who is obsessed with searching the planet's abandoned crypts for "lost beings of light" who hid away weapons to fight a "darkness from beyond the stars." It's implied the volus is insane (although Shepard and their crew would likely disagree), but he has his own army of mercenaries digging up the planet.
** Shepard can play Adventurer Archaeologist in both games, recovering ancient asari writings, turian clan insignia, Prothean artifacts and data disks from sites spanning the galaxy. You can even keep a Prothean relic in your cabin as an art piece.
** By the time of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', archaeology has become a necessity. The Reapers are invading, and the best bet to stop them is to build the Crucible: an ancient Prothean-designed weapons system. The most effective way to decipher the Prothean script surrounding this weapon is to study Prothean artifacts, effectively ''militarizing'' archaeology.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'', Pharaoh Man is a robot created for the purpose of being one of these. He's designed to explore Egyptian ruins, and was built with superior speed and agility for the sake of evading {{deathtrap}}s, and powerful optical sensors that allow him to perceive objects through walls, making it easier to navigate the dark catacombs. His likeness to a pharaoh is even intended to stave off any ancient curses by making it seem like he belongs there.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManZX Advent'', Grey/Ashe can meet Meg, self-proclaimed "antique Hunter" who spends her time hunting through ruins to uncover LostTechnology and preventing them from being stolen and sold off by thieves (and tracking said thieves down if they do). As a registered [[BountyHunter member of the Hunter's Guild]], she has a legal license from the government of Legion to carry these operations out and this is a major part of the job of a Hunter (the other part being hunting down Mavericks for bounties, but she seems to prefer the exploring part). In fact, she was in the middle of one such operation when the stage in question [[FloatingContinent suddenly lived up to its name as the "Floating Ruins"]] and she got stuck. She asks Grey/Ashe as a fellow Hunter to find four artifacts hidden throughout the four parts of the Floating Ruins and bring them back to her as a sidequest, where she provides some handy exposition on each one (for bonus points, they're all items from the ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' time period centuries prior) and upon getting all four she'll give them a Sub-Tank.
* Lemeza Kosugi of ''VideoGame/LaMulana'', who is a parody of Indiana Jones, down to the hat and constant use of a whip as a tool and a weapon. He sets out to the ruins of La-Mulana after receiving a letter from his father claiming that "He found it!" and that he "won" over Lemeza, like it's a competition. Due to the competitive relationship Lemeza and his father Shorn (or Shawn) share, the actions in which you get money in the game (by breaking pots with your weapon), and the the lack of character development afterwards, ''WebVideo/ArmoredChocobo'' portrayed him as a greedy version of this trope in his Let's Play, going as far as saying his clothes are green because they are "made out of dollar bills" and the phrase "It doesn't belong in a museum, it belongs in Lemeza's pockets!"
** ''VideoGame/LaMulana2'' stars Lemeza's daughter Lumisa, who is similar to her father in ability. [[spoiler:Lemeza and Shorn also appear, stealing Lumisa's discovery]]. The game also implies that ''all'' archaeologists in-universe are this, as several signs warn you that a dangerous activity should not be attempted unless you are a highly trained ninja... or an archaeologist. Whether this means that all archaeologists recieve ninja training as part of their profession or that they're badass enough on their own to not need it is unclear, though the first game did mention that Lemeza recieved training.
* ''VideoGame/NetHack'' has an Archaeologist class that starts with a whip and fedora.
* Goombella in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' is an archaeology student, but every bit as adventurous as many examples here.
%%* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/PharaohsTomb'' and sequel ''ArcticAdventure'', one Nevada Smith.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Sinnoh League Champion Cynthia]]. The focus of her study is the historical (and prehistoric) interactions and relationships between humans and Pokemon, and she seems to have a special interest in the mythology of [[OlympusMons legendary Pokemon]], which explains her involvement in the events of ''Platinum''.
** [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Gym Leader Lenora]] is hinted to be a retired one, and is the curator of her own museum.
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'', Cynthia's [[IdenticalGrandson identical grandfather]] Volo is revealed to be one of these, as he has a fascination with ancient ruins and legends that often supersedes his day job as an IntrepidMerchant. [[spoiler:He's soon revealed to be [[TheDogWasTheMastermind a dark example of this]], as learning of the TopGod Arceus led him to GoMadFromTheRevelation and RageAgainstTheHeavens.]]
* Herschel Layton from the ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' series is technically an archaeologist, though he spends more time in the games solving puzzles ([[AmateurSleuth and crimes]]). He does get in some ruin-exploring in a few games, such as ''Miracle Mask''. More specifically, he doesn't actually ''like'' adventuring, but he often does so anyway due to people giving him strange or dangerous artifacts whose true nature only he can solve, of which adventuring tends to happen. [[AllThereInTheManual According to his social media accounts]], he turned down an invitation to ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' due to it being about fighting--he would prefer to study and solve puzzles.
* RobertRipley as imagined in ''VideoGame/TheRiddleOfMasterLu'' is not a real archaeologist, but his search for clues in sometimes dangerous ancient locations in order to get to enter the tomb of the first emperor of China to stop a magical McGuffin from falling into the wrong hands is just like something from Indiana Jones -- except that he isn't good at the fighting, he lets his girlfriend do that.
* ''VideoGame/SecretFiles'' has [[{{Deuteragonist}} Max Gruber]] who fits the trope. In the second game of the series, Sam Peters, a classmate of Max, is a rare female version.
* In the "World Adventures" expansion pack for ''VideoGame/TheSims3'' you can be such an archaeologist, exploring tombs in the three travel locations for valuable treasures and unique furniture.
** ''VideoGame/TheSims4'' has a SpiritualSuccessor game pack called "Jungle Adventure."
* The [[NoNameGiven nameless hero]] of ''VideoGame/SkyOdyssey'' is said to be the latest in a line of explorers who set out to find the [[AdvancedAncientAcropolis Hidden Tower of Maximus]] within the Islands of the Dark Sea. While we don't actually see him [[InformedAbility doing any archaeology in the game]], given that his goal is to rediscover the ancient lost city it makes sense that he would be one of these.
* The player character in ''VideoGame/{{Spelunky}}'', an Indiana Jones lookalike.
* Ernest from ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'' was Indiana Jones with three eyes.
* In the ''Franchise/StarWars:'' ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' FanGame ''VideoGame/TheJediMasters'', the PlayerCharacter is one of these who's [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep referred to simply as Doctor]], and the plot kicks off with them seeking funding for an expedition to track down what happened to [[TheParagon Revan]]. Later on they end up being trained in the ways of the Force by the [[SpiritAdvisor ghost of the Sith Lord Freedon Nadd]] while exploring his tomb.
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' allows any character to become this by taking the Archaeology crew Skill. The Jedi and Sith classes also spend some of their early levels delving into ancient ruins on their respective home planets and one of the Sith Inquisitor's companions, Talos Drellik, is a member of the Imperial Reclamations Unit whose job is to specifically seek out ancient Sith ruins and artifacts though he's more of a scholar than a fighter.
** The Sith Inquisitor's job essentially becomes this at the end of their storyline, as their position becomes head of the "Sphere of Ancient Knowledge" with their seat on the NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering, tasked with researching Sith artifacts. [[OneHourWorkWeek Not that they actually do much research.]]
* Lorelei, Zweig, and Killey in the ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' series are all Adventurer Archaeologists, with Lorelei even wielding a [[{{Homage}} whip]] in one game.
%%* Waffle's uncle in ''VideoGame/TailConcerto''.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria'''s main character [[TheHero Sorey]] and his [[TheLancer best friend]]/"[[HoYay boyfriend]]" [[MakingASplash Mikleo]] are this, having an adorkable passion for history and ruins that comes up more than once on their quest to save the world. In fact they start off their adventure exploring ruins and discover the unconscious [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Alisha]], dragging them into the standard hero's journey and world saving. In fact, they would prefer to just explore the world and uncover the history over fighting evil...though they aren't averse to multi-tasking! [[spoiler:In the epilogue, an older Mikleo is seen living out their dream of exploring ruins around the world...just before Sorey, who'd been [[RipVanWinkle asleep since right after the final battle]], shows up in time to rescue him from a fall.]]
* Garrett of ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' [[AtLeastIAdmitIt freely admits to being a looter]] rather than an archaeologist. He winds up otherwise fulfilling the role anyway, though, as he usually manages to grab at least one MacGuffin without meaning to. One treasure in a lost city setting in ''Thief 2'', however, prompts him to ponder aloud that "Archaeologist sounds much more dignified than thief". Archaeologists normally don't break into museums to reacquire the artifacts they had previously sold to them, after all.

* In ''VideoGame/TheAgeOfDecadence,'' characters who choose the Loremaster class are specifically geared toward becoming this. Searching ancient ruins and uncovering the events that directly led to the game's apocalyptic setting. Often, however, digging up and fiddling with highly advanced ancient technology can have incredibly destructive results for the inhabitants of what remains of the world.
* ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'' features a rather prominent example in the form of Iain Tibet Gladstone, Templar scholar. A historian, anthropologist and adventurer, Gladstone spent most of his younger days roaming around the world, investigating mysteries almost too esoteric for mainstream secret worlders and conducting some extremely questionable experiments; he even went so far as to indulge in MentalTimeTravel via a number of rare and prohibited substances. He even defends his approach by claiming that there's things in history that scholars need to confront head-on. Apparently, his employers disagree: by the start of the game, [[DeconstructedTrope Gladstone has been forcibly retired and is currently spending the rest of his days under house arrest]].
* Professor Tsuchida of ''VideoGame/PeretEmHeruForThePrisoners'' is an older version who recognizes that he's a bit past his prime. However, he refuses to let this slow him down too much, seeking further prestige and to keep strengthening his reputation. Unfortunately, this leads him to recruit a tour group as {{Unwitting Pawn}}s when he discovers a hidden ruin and decides that he'd rather not wait to explore it, or let any organizations know about his find and steal his glory...
* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' both plays this straight and deconstructs it. Archaeology is one of the 28 skills and the player certainly has a lot of adventures doing it. In the story though, many [=NPCs=] found being academics and not a god-like hero, means they are ill-equipped to deal with the AncientConspiracy, CosmicFlaw, EldritchAbomination, ArtifactOfDoom and the like they dig up.

[[folder:Arts]]
* The "Page of Wands" from ''Art/MysticalMedleysAVintageCartoonTarot'' wears the typical safari outfit while being in the desert.

* The titular hero of ''VideoGame/TheCliffhangerEdwardRandy'' is as close a CaptainErsatz of Indy as it can get, being an adventurer in the 1930s who explore ruins and goes around beating up enemy mooks using his whip, while trying to stop a warlord called "Black Ogre" from stealing a powerful ancient artifact to TakeOverTheWorld. There's even a tank boss in the desert stage which homages the third Indy film.

* ''Literature/HandOfMercy'' features Helen Hawthorn. Technically Helen is an antiques dealer, but that doesn't stop her rifling through ancient artifacts, and theft and trespass at Isham house.

* Mariah from ''ComicBook/TheWarlord'' is an archaeologist who becomes a sword-swinging heroine upon her transport to the LostWorld of Skartaris.

* Oklahoma Bones is a FunnyAnimal Indy parody, a prairie dog who appears in ''ComicBook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew'' as an expert on [[EenieMeenieMinyMoai the mysterious statues on Easter Bunny Island]]. And his sidekick, Whipley the snake.

With respect to ValuesDissonance, many of the Adventurer Archaeologist tropes are falling into DiscreditedTrope territory due to the historical tendency for these characters both in fiction and real life to be of White Anglo/European descent. Archaeologist adventurers are often depicted as MightyWhitey types with a paternalistic attitude towards the HollywoodNatives when they're not [[ChasedByAngryNatives running away from them]]. The artifacts that they collect often end up in museums that are outside of their native country, the rationale being that the natives cannot effectively protect them from theft or misuse. In keeping with an often racist narrative, there is also the annoying tendency for the White Archaeologist (due to being more book smart) to be [[LedByTheOutsider implausibly more correct about the nature and origin of the artifact or ruins than his NativeGuide for whom these items are heritage]].

** Speaking of Necrons, Trazyn the Infinite scours battlefields looking for artifacts and knickknacks to add to his collection. Some of his finds have been alien monsters, powerful artifacts, and five regiments of Imperial Guard an Inquisitor "gave" to him.

* ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'': An early episode, seemingly unconnected to the MythArc, revolves around an unusually realistic take on the trope: A moderately down-on-her-luck archaeology graduate encounters a treasure hunter type who is OnlyInItForTheMoney, and somewhat reluctantly joins an unauthorised off-the-books dig at a previously untouched tomb in a remote part of Egypt. It doesn't end well.

* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'': [[Manga/PhantomBlood Johnathan Joestar]] had studied archaeology with the intent to become an archaeologist. His original goal was to study the mysterious Mesoamerican Mask that belonged to his family, but ended up training in Hamon to fight off the vampires created by the mask.

With respect to ValuesDissonance, many of the Adventurer Archaeologist tropes are falling into DiscreditedTrope territory due to the historical tendency for these characters both in fiction and real life to be of White Anglo/European descent. Archaeologist adventurers are often depicted as MightyWhitey types with a paternalistic attitude towards the HollywoodNatives when they're not [[ChasedByAngryNatives running away from them]]. The artifacts that they collect often end up in museums that are outside of their native country, the rationale being that the natives cannot effectively protect them from theft or misuse. In keeping with an often racist narrative, there is also the annoying tendency for the White Archaeologist to be [[LedByTheOutsider implausibly more correct about the nature and origin of the artifact or ruins than the native for whom these items are heritage]].

With respect to ValuesDissonance, many of the Adventurer Archaeologist tropes are falling into DiscreditedTrope territory due to the historical tendency for these characters both in fiction and real life to be of White Anglo/European descent. Archaeologist adventurers are often depicted as MightyWhitey types with a paternalistic attitude towards the HollywoodNatives when they're not [[ChasedByAngryNatives running away from them]]. The artifacts that they collect often end up in museums that are outside of their native country, the rationale being that the natives cannot effectively protect them from theft or misuse.

* Professor Franchise/BerniceSummerfield, in the Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse, although she is a little bit of a subversion. She actually wants to be a respected academic who does serious archaeology and carefully peels back history, however she has the drawback of travelling with The Doctor. It means she does get to explore history and see firsthand how it used to be, in ways that she can extrapolate into academic work, but it also means people will be trying to kill them a lot and that most of the artefacts the Doctor is interested in will turn out to be lost superweapons or something.

* The statement about archaeologists out for personal glory and museum loot rather than knowledge is also true for old-time paleontologists. Many people believe that Indiana Jones is based on the adventure paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews, and the famous "Bone War" between the Americans Marsh and Cope, which resulted in the discovery of many of the [[StockDinosaurs dinosaurs that are considered iconic today]], also involved shoddy science, theft, fistfights, murder, and wanton destruction, like dynamiting a quarry at the end of the season to destroy what was left to prevent the other guy from coming in and going through it.

In RealLife, archaeology, or modern archaeology to be specific, is ''not'' the most fast-paced of careers. It can involve a lot of research, dirt, and theorizing about small details like diet. A real archaeologist can make their career by the meticulous analysis of the contents of an ancient {{DownInTheDumps garbage dump}} and indeed, they (well, a few) would ''prefer'' to find the dump rather than a king's tomb, since the dump can tell them far more about the way ordinary people lived, with far fewer legal and ethical ramifications. Additionally, a dump will have items of low or underestimated value, reducing the allure for tomb robbers who might otherwise have broken into tombs and ruined the information.

In RealLife, archaeology, or modern archaeology to be specific, is ''not'' the most fast-paced of careers. It can involve a lot of research, dirt, and theorizing about small details like diet. A real archaeologist can make their career by the meticulous analysis of the contents of an ancient garbage dump and indeed, they (well, a few) would ''prefer'' to find the dump rather than a king's tomb, since the dump can tell them far more about the way ordinary people lived, with far fewer legal and ethical ramifications. Additionally, a dump will have items of low or underestimated value, reducing the allure for tomb robbers who might otherwise have broken into tombs and ruined the information.

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' Society is an organization of these, dedicated to uncovering ancient knowledge and publishing it in the Pathfinder Chronicles. They are frequently pitted against the Aspis Consortium, who at best sell to the highest bidder and at worst will grind down precious historical artifacts into powder for use as spell components.

** ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'' has "archeomancers", a faction of the Mysterium (collectors of magical lore) who search old ruins for artefacts.

* It is also possible to pull off an Adventurer Archaeologist character in the ''{{TabletopGame/Eberron}}'' setting for TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons. Indeed, the ''Forge of War'' book indicates that it's possible to run a war campaign in which one is attempting to locate ancient artifacts to deny them to enemy forces, "[[Franchise/IndianaJones like a certain whip-wielding, fedora-wearing archaeologist.]]"

Not so in fiction. Since most of the world has [[EndOfAnAge the ruins of ancient and powerful civilizations]] littered under the surface, archaeology is a career that brings one constantly face to face with [[TempleOfDoom Temples of Doom]], LostTechnology, [[SealedEvilInACan imprisoned evils]], and {{MacGuffin}}s. Lots of {{MacGuffin}}s. If it takes place on Earth and the writers don't make one up, it'll usually be something like an Egyptian tomb (expect a {{mummy}} to pursue the hero), a {{Mayincatec}} temple, or the HolyGrail.

In fiction, it then becomes perfectly reasonable to use any means to acquire said {{MacGuffin}}s, no matter how destructive. Who cares if you have to destroy ancient machinery that could well be thousands of years old and still works? There's a gold monkey at the end! ''And'' you get to wear a dashing AdventurerOutfit!

Adventurer Archaeologists are capable of dressing up very well for more intellectual appearances, but forays into studying [[LawOfConservationOfDetail usually occur off-screen]], and it's never implied to take very long. (Compare BadassBookworm.) An Adventurer Archaeologist has an interesting morality. Ruins are rarely really "abandoned" as the descendants of the {{Precursors}}, or their ghosts, or even their mystically preserved selves are [[ChasedByAngryNatives very upset]] when outsiders intrude, and especially when they take the focal points of their culture with them. It's not imperialism if the people who are guarding them aren't even human after all. Of course, real imperialists didn't believe the people around ancient sites were worth considering either. Most people call this "theft", few others would call this "imperialism". In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', it's noted that the title character has been called a "{{grave robb|ing}}er" (although real archaeologists were once considered that [[UsefulNotes/NativeAmericans and some still are]]). However, to an Adventurer Archaeologist, it's okay as long as it [[ItBelongsInAMuseum goes into a museum]]. To keep the audience rooting for the Adventurer Archaeologist, they are often pitted against an EvilCounterpart who wants the same treasure for themselves to hoard in a private collection, or to give it to the bad guys or sell to the highest bidder, use it to TakeOverTheWorld, etc.

This trope is OlderThanRadio, an accomplishment when considering that archaeology as a modern profession is less than two centuries old. Antiquarians, historians, and intellectual grave robbers were a staple of 19th Century gothic horror and ghost stories. They appeared regularly in pulp adventure novels and film adventures dating back to the dawn of talking pictures, including [[Film/TheMummysHand the Universal mummy movies]] and the Johnny Weismuller ''Franchise/{{Tarzan}}'' films. A certain Creator/GeorgeLucas and Creator/StevenSpielberg series made it big again in TheEighties. Indeed, while real archaeology is nothing like the ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' movies, it's often said that most every western archaeologist since 1981 was inspired by him to become one. The conflation of actual archaeology with the exploits that we see in ''Indiana Jones'' has fortunately faded from the public consciousness in recent decades, but adventure and danger ''can'' still happen.

[[caption-width-right:349: Yeah, but who would you rather be?]]

In RealLife, archeology, or modern archeology to be specific, is ''not'' the most fast-paced of careers. It can involve a lot of research, dirt, and going over small details like diet and theorizing on them. A real archaeologist can make their career by the meticulous analysis of the contents of a garbage dump and indeed, they (well, a few) would ''prefer'' to find the dump rather than a king's tomb, since the dump can tell them far more about the way ordinary people lived, with far fewer legal and ethical ramifications. Additionally, a dump will have items of low or underestimated value, reducing the allure for tomb robbers who might have broken into tombs and ruined the information.

Not so in fiction-land. Since most of the world has [[EndOfAnAge the ruins of ancient and powerful civilizations]] littered under the surface, archeology is a career that brings one constantly face to face with [[TempleOfDoom Temples of Doom]]; LostTechnology, [[SealedEvilInACan imprisoned evils]], and {{MacGuffin}}s. Lots of {{MacGuffin}}s. If it takes place on Earth and the writers don't make one up, it'll usually be something like an Egyptian tomb (expect a {{mummy}} to haunt our hero), a {{Mayincatec}} temple, or the HolyGrail.

Adventurer Archaeologists are capable of dressing up very well for more intellectual appearances, but forays into studying usually occur off-screen, and it's never implied to take very long. (Compare BadassBookworm.) An Adventurer Archaeologist has an interesting morality. Ruins are rarely really "abandoned" as the descendants of the {{Precursors}}, or their ghosts, or even their mystically preserved selves are [[ChasedByAngryNatives very upset]] when outsiders intrude, and especially when they take the focal points of their culture with them. It's not imperialism if the people who are guarding them aren't even human after all. Of course, real imperialists didn't believe the people around ancient sites were worth considering either. Most people call this "theft", few others would call this "imperialism". In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', it's noted that the title character has been called a "{{grave robb|ing}}er" (although real archaeologists were once considered that [[UsefulNotes/NativeAmericans and some still are]]). However, to an Adventurer Archaeologist, it's okay as long as it [[ItBelongsInAMuseum goes into a museum]]. To keep the audience rooting for the Adventurer Archaeologist, they are often pitted against an EvilCounterpart who wants the same treasure for themselves to hoard in a private collection, or to give it to the bad guys/sell to the highest bidder, use it to TakeOverTheWorld, etc.

This trope is OlderThanRadio, an accomplishment when considering that archeology as a modern profession is less than two centuries old. Antiquarians, historians, and intellectual grave robbers were a staple of 19th Century gothic horror and ghost stories. They appeared regularly in pulp adventure novels and film adventures dating back to the dawn of talking pictures, including [[Film/TheMummysHand the Universal mummy movies]] and the Johnny Weismuller ''Franchise/{{Tarzan}}'' films. A certain Creator/GeorgeLucas and Creator/StevenSpielberg series made it big again in TheEighties. Indeed, while real archaeology is nothing like the ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' movies, most every western Archaeologist since 1981 was inspired by him to become one.

It should be noted, however, that this Trope and its origins do come from [[TruthInTelevision Truth in err... Literature]]. Early archaeologists tended to be more concerned about their own glory and getting museum trinkets that looked good than actually discovering information about ancient cultures, or preserving knowledge for future research — let alone respecting or collaborating with the modern descendants of the people whose tombs and temples they excavated. Their methods were often horrible by modern scientific standards, as the examples below show, and they usually discarded artifacts that weren't glamorous or shiny, including some types that are considered quite scientifically or historically valuable today. As a result, no one knows how much historical evidence will never be known to us through the carelessness of 19th and early 20th century archaeologists. To be fair, Howard Carter's expedition to retrieve Tutankhamen's body and treasures was sensational. Finding the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang]] would have been a glorious experience, as well. So while there isn't quite the same level of swashbuckling that Indy experienced, if you're lucky, hitting the jackpot can still be one hell of an adrenaline rush.

It also didn't help that the swashbuckling in fiction [[RealityIsUnrealistic had a small kernel of truth.]] Militarized archeology has an uncomfortably long history. Around the time it was coming into its own as a respectable field, the world was hit by [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI one]] [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII major conflict]] [[UsefulNotes/ColdWar after another]], each of which saw archeology politicized and militarized to a dangerous degree. For reasons ranging from [[ArchaeologicalArmsRace trying to dig up the remnants of heavily mythologized "advanced civilizations" for technological or ideological benefit]] or [[EspionageTropes as a neat way to do spying]], preservation and cataloging of the past often had to negotiate minefields of militarized looting, diplomatic relations, and warring superpowers and local factions.

By the time UsefulNotes/WorldWarI began, most of the participants in it — like Indiana Jones — tended to be properly trained archeologists who tried to handle things properly and also tried to keep their military involvement separate from their archeology. (For example, UsefulNotes/RalphBagnold was an archeologist who signed up for the British military and used his experience and innovations to help form the Desert Rats.) But it wasn't uncommon for archeological expeditions to be run like military expeditions (particularly during the war years). On occasion, these forces and their affiliated armed forces and intelligence agencies might even clash, with people getting killed and some priceless finds being either damaged or destroyed. Sometimes just to deny them to the enemy.

This has [[ScienceMarchesOn fortunately died down massively]] in recent decades, but it can still happen in select areas. Small wonder that many archaeologists in real life learned to take up arms and get out of tight situations, and that those experiences have been distorted and blown out of proportion in the public imagination.

Often the main character in a JungleOpera. Related to, but distinct from, the BoldExplorer.
See also RaidersOfTheLostParody.

* Ruby Crescent from ''Manga/OPartsHunter'' is a young archeologist who meets the main character while looking for her father.
* Two of ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'''s Alfred/America's hobbies are adventuring and archeology.

* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'': [[Manga/PhantomBlood Johnathan Joestar]] had studied archeology with the intent to become an archeologist. His original goal was to study the mysterious Mesoamerican Mask that belonged to his family, but ended up training in Hamon to fight off the vampires created by the mask.

* Fred Perry's ''ComicBook/GoldDigger'' is made of this trope, starring the Diggers sisters Gina and Brittany and Brianna, prime examples, as well as numerous archeologist rivals, allies, and even Gina Digger's students in adventure archeology.

** Dr. Sandsmark's friend and mentor Julia Kapatelis, who Diana lived with in ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'' and who introduced the Sandsmarks to Wonder Woman, is another archeologist who has worked with magical artifacts, visited pocket dimensions and more even before she started hosting an Amazon princess in her home.
** ''ComicBook/WonderWomanRebirth'': The more recent versions of ComicBook/WonderWoman’s iconic villain ComicBook/{{Cheetah}} is an archeologist convinced that the Amazons and other myths are true and sets out to prove it by getting entangled with those myths.

* ''ComicBook/Robin1993'': Janet and Jack Drake shared a hobby of recreational archeology and spent more time at exciting archeological sites and at business meetings than at home with their son. After Janet's death Jack also indulges in his love for archeology when he travels for his wedding to Dana Winters.

* The O'Connell Family from ''[[Film/TheMummyTrilogy The Mummy]]'' movies and [[WesternAnimation/TheMummyTheAnimatedSeries cartoon]] act like this, even though none of them are officially archeologists (Rick O'Connell is a military defector looking for treasure, and Evy is trained as a librarian rather than an archeologist).

** But all of that pales in comparison to the adventures of Jarra, Fian, their dig team, their pre-history class, and Asgard 2 dig team over the course of three books: [[spoiler:They remember the Ark caves to evacuated the handicapped to, excavate a rubble-buried crash-landed spaceship, dig out and reactivate alien tech, make first contact with an alien probe, run away from a space ship armed with a frigging Laser beam and [[FakingTheDead fake their own death]], survive an attack of a [[MacrossMissileMassacre missile-filled space ship]], get Alpha Sector to allow Earth to join them, get the Earth government to be democratically elected, have her immune system replaced by a risky potentially fatal experimental technology to be able to leave Earth and is the first [[HandicappedBadass disabled]] person in history to go on an extrasolar travel, figure out the chimera could still be around, become pioneers in xenoarcheology, have a statue/memorial for her and her teams, win at life.]]

* Tanner from ''Literature/{{She Fell Among Thieves|1964}}'' is a treasure hunter more than he is an archeologist. He's wanted in both Mexico and Cambodia for smuggling artifacts. Miller joins in on his illegal activities when they decide to steal the statue.

* Examples of this trope IN SPACE are apparently common in the Verse of ''Series/BabylonFive'', among them Sheridan's wife, who disappeared on an archeological expedition.

* In the ''Series/MurdochMysteries'' episode "Murdoch and the Temple of Death", the VictimOfTheWeek is an Adventure Archeologist who [[spoiler:found the Holy Grail in an exact duplicate of the Hagia Sophia built in Canada by ''another'' Adventure Archeologist, who took it from the real one]]. Crabtree is inspired to write a novel about "a swashbuckling archeologist", although Murdoch thinks ItWillNeverCatchOn. The whole thing is, of course, an ''Indiana Jones'' pastiche.

* ''Series/TheYoungIndianaJonesChronicles'' has, strangely, an aversion. The show was created to be educational. The DVD sets include educational documentaries about people and events in the show... and the first one has a [[HypocrisyNod documentary about what real-life archeology is like]].

* Nathan Drake from the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' series, though no one even calls what he does 'archeology'. They all refer to him as a thief, and they're absolutely right, though [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI he'd probably prefer "treasure hunter"]]. It's just, sometimes treasure is inside museums, or under guard by heavily-armed mercenaries. [[spoiler:Funnily enough, the series actually ends with him transitioning ''into'' legal, more realistic archaeology.]]

* Goombella in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' is an archeology student, but every bit as adventurous as many examples here.

* Garrett of ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' is at least honest in that he freely admits to being a looter. He winds up otherwise fulfilling the role anyway, though, as he usually manages to grab at least one MacGuffin without meaning to. Though one treasure in a lost city setting in ''VideoGame/{{Thief}} 2'' triggers him to ponder aloud that "Archaeologist sounds much more dignified than Thief". Archeologists normally don't break into museums to reacquire the artifacts they had sold to them.

* Some of the platoons in ''Webcomic/{{Pacificators}}'' are orientated towards archaeology. The most prominent archeologist platoon is Commander Breanne Geothe's platoon (who we meet in the second chapter).

* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'': While the Toughs are mercenaries they sometimes find themselves engaging in this when their contract involves protecting and/or exploring ancient [[BigDumbObject Big Dumb Objects]]. This improvised archeology results in [[DeconstructedTrope rather realistic consequences.]]

* The fictional version of Creator/JackieChan from ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures''. This trope is parodied, however, when he comes to his niece's career day and gives an accurate explanation of what archeology is like in real life. He'd rather do the proper archeology, but rarely has time before the bad guys show up to try to grab the artifact.

* UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte's visit to Egypt arguably codified this trope. When Napoleon went to Egypt as a General, he carried an entire scientific expedition with him and he tried his best to blend in with the locals (try being the big word, [[PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy his behaviour was actually quite embarrassing]]), while visiting Alexandria and seeing the Pyramids. During his time there, his scientists collected a huge range of data and one of his officers discovered the Rosetta Stone. The stone would later fall into the hands of the English, but the French made etchings of it and took many samples and transcriptions back to France. It would take some two decades before Napoleon's expedition lead to the publication of "Descryption of Egypt" the birth of modern Egyptology including alongside it, Champollion's translation of the Rosetta Stone which deciphered the hieroglyphs. This was considered a seminal moment in modern archeology and it sparked and led to a huge drive among the English and other governments to start raiding tombs, discovering ruins, and grabbing stuff that didn't belong to them.

* Sometimes of course, archaeology is about being in the right place at the right time. Two of the biggest and most influential archeological finds of the 20th Century were found by amateurs outside the profession:

* UsefulNotes/TELawrence, a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia, was an archaeologist who was sent to Arabia by the British government specifically because of his academic knowledge of the area. So, being an archaeologist really can lead to exciting adventures! Although most of Lawrence's activities were of the non-archeological kind.

* The statement about archeologists out for personal glory and museum loot rather than knowledge is also true for old-time paleontologists. Many people believe that Indiana Jones is based on the adventure paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews, and the famous "Bone War" between the Americans Marsh and Cope, which resulted in the discovery of many of the [[StockDinosaurs dinosaurs that are considered iconic today]], also involved shoddy science, theft and outright destruction (dynamiting a quarry at the end of the season to destroy what was left to prevent the other guy from coming in and going through it). The brawls and murder, too.

* Heinrich Schliemann may be the ur-example of this; in thieving, digging, and bombing his way to and through the ruins of the site he called "Troy", and then Mycenae, Schliemann essentially invented modern archaeology by negation when observers compiled a list of his activities that archaeologists ''should never repeat''.

** He ended up destroying the very ruins of Troy he was trying to find - and ended up finding some even older ones under them. He was convinced that Homeric Troy had to be at the [[TrueArtIsAncient bottom of the Hisarlik]] and everything above it, no matter how interesting to other archeologists, was worthless. He even sponsored and paid for a project that demolished and cleared everything and anything that wasn't Classical from the Acropolis of Athens, destroying structures from the following Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman periods.

* Sylvanus Morley was, by all accounts, an excellent archeologist whose excavations of Mayan ruins in Mexico were highly influential. They also made a good cover for his spying for the American government during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

* Any archeologist who does field work in the really unstable parts of the world fits this trope. Like the guys who work in Afghanistan looking for some of the old Buddhist remnants. Standard practice is to hire mercenary guards for any and all excavation efforts, both to avoid getting killed/kidnapped and to protect the items themselves since many religious militants are dead set at destroying any non-Muslim historical artifacts (and sometimes, Muslim artifacts as well).

* The Wiki/SCPFoundation has several anomalous objects and containment sites that were originally found by these sorts, many of whom came to a bad end as a direct result. [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-557 SCP-557]] is a fairly typical example, although [[AmbiguousSituation nobody knows exactly what happened]] or what [[SealedEvilInACan "the bastard son of Apep"]] really was.

* ''WesternAnimation/ChillOutScoobyDoo:'' Professor Jeffries is a bold and fit man who is obsessed with finding the lost kingdom of Shangri-La. Ultimately, he's a negative example of the trope, as he's mainly concerned with padding his own pockets from a diamond mine that isn't his to take.

* One of the ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' animated movies, ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooInWheresMyMummy'', has Velma become one of these, as well as having another one as her friend and ''yet another'' one, this one an evil Lara Croft {{Expy}}, as a villain.