Expert: John J. Shea - 7/14/2006

Question
Hey John,
it seems like many archaeologists are supporting undergrad studies in Anthropology before grad work in Archaeology. That sounds good to me--except I don't believe in the theory of evolution. Do you know of any Anth. programs that support Intelligent Design?
Thank you!


Answer
Dear Hannah
There are some programs whose explicit mission is to conduct research to support the intelligent design theory, but they are not held in high regard by mainstream anthropologists.  Many are just fronts for creationists, -an institution to lend them the appearance of scientific legitimacy.  In science, it is generally considered a bad idea to decide what you're going to find before you begin doing the research.

Selecting a college on the basis of the evolution/intelligent design issue severely limits your choices. It is better for you to go to a good school that will give you a well-rounded education that can be a stepping-stone to graduate study in archaeology.  The importance of evolutionary theory in anthropology/archaeology varies.  It is a bedrock principle for prehistoric research, but (to me a least), it seems less central to archaeology of recent societies and Biblical/Classical archaeology.

Lastly, when you go to college, I would urge you to keep an open mind about the evolution/intelligent design "debate".  There is more to this issue than you may think at this point in your education.  Learning about scientific theories about which you are skeptical is a part of any education.  It's precisely what you ought to seek out when you go to college.
Best wishes,
John Shea