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"Archaeology Today", recorded on 9 October 1970 and broadcast on 17 November 1970, was the 21st episode of the popular British television comedy ''
Monty Python's Flying Circus ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (also known as simply ''Monty Python'') is a British surreal sketch comedy series created by and starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, who became known ...
'' which was created by the
Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...
group. As stated on the ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' Wiki, "The show often targets the idiosyncrasies of British life, especially that of professionals, and is at times politically charged"; this episode in particular seems to target the professional world of anthropology and archaeology.


Trailer

The trailer includes the theme song and an introduction to this episode of ''
Monty Python's Flying Circus ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (also known as simply ''Monty Python'') is a British surreal sketch comedy series created by and starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, who became known ...
''. It has an animated introduction where there is a large foot that becomes broken and disintegrates into the ground, with no evidence left. Nature continues its natural action and the surroundings grow and eventually has a city built on top of the site. The city becomes condemned and is then bulldozed down with plans for new luxury apartments. While constructing the new, luxury apartments, an "artifact" is found which resembles a very large big toe, and is brought to the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
, where it is called the "archaeological find of the century!" They were able to "accurately reconstruct" the artifact, using the toe as a trunk for an elephant.


"Archaeology Today"

A television interviewer (
Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries. Palin w ...
) introduces two archaeologists: Professor Lucien Kastner (
Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh comedian, director, historian, actor, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy team. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and ...
), of
Oslo University The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...
, and Sir Robert Eversley (
John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...
). It soon becomes obvious that the host is interested mainly in their heights; he insults Kastner (5′10″) and fawns over Sir Robert (6′5″). When Sir Robert brings up his discovery of Polynesian influences, the host asks about the Polynesians' stature; Sir Robert replies that it "has nothing to do with archaeology," whereupon the host takes an artifact and smashes it, enraging Kastner. Sir Robert punches the host, who swears revenge. We then see Sir Robert with his assistant Danielle (
Carol Cleveland Carol Cleveland (born 13 January 1942) is a British-American actress and comedian, particularly known for her work with Monty Python. Early life Born in East Sheen, London, she moved to the United States with her mother and U.S. Air Force step ...
) digging in Egypt 1920. Sir Robert had been finding great artifacts and was very happy which caused him to break out in song. He finds a
Sumer Sumer () is the earliest known civilization in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. It is one of the cradles of c ...
ian drinking vessel, an unprecedented find in the context of the
Fourth Dynasty of Egypt The Fourth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty IV) is characterized as a "golden age" of the Old Kingdom of Egypt. Dynasty IV lasted from to 2494 BC. It was a time of peace and prosperity as well as one during which trade with other ...
. The interviewer then appears and challenges Sir Robert. Kastner leaps onto the interviewer's shoulders, making them together almost twice as tall as Sir Robert. Danielle then leaps onto Sir Robert's shoulders, and each stack is further heightened by an Arab servant. The six of them brawl, smashing the found artifacts and killing each other. With his dying breath, the interviewer addresses a typical signoff to the camera.


"Silly Vicar"

Rev. Arthur Belling (
Graham Chapman Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the surreal comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel and the lead role in two P ...
), of St Looney Up the Cream Bun and Jam, appeals for help in curing our less fortunate neighbours of their sanity.


"Leapy Lee"

A smartly-dressed woman (
Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadwa ...
) appears, to make an appeal on behalf of the " National Truss", but is derailed by her inability to remember her own name.


"Registrar (wife swap)"

Mr Cook and a woman enter a wedding registrar's office, and Mr Cook (
Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadwa ...
) explains to the registrar that he is dissatisfied with the blonde he married last week and wants to exchange her for this woman
Barbara Lindley
. The registrar (
Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh comedian, director, historian, actor, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy team. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and ...
) tries to explain that it can't be done, and Mr Cook tries to haggle, remarking that "I only wanted a bloody good—" He is interrupted by a whistle; a referee (
John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...
) enters and takes down Cook's personal information. When he has finished, he blows his whistle again and the next sketch begins: A doctor (
Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries. Palin w ...
) calls for the next patient (
Graham Chapman Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the surreal comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel and the lead role in two P ...
), who tries to clarify that he is not ''Mr'' Watson but ''Dr'' Watson. The first doctor persistently misunderstands. A whistle blows and a caption appears: ''That sketch has been abandoned.''


Archaeological perspective

This skit illuminates a field of study within the archaeological/anthropological realm of marriage. This skit brings up the question of what is the "proper" form of marriage. Many cultures around the world have different definitions of a marriage and who may be married. Some other
types of marriage The type, functions, and characteristics of marriage vary from culture to culture, and can change over time. In general there are two types: civil marriage and religious marriage, and typically marriages employ a combination of both (religious m ...
practices include:
monogamy Monogamy ( ) is a form of dyadic relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (serial monogamy) — as compared to the various forms of non-monogamy (e.g., polyga ...
,
polygamy Crimes Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is married ...
,
polyandry Polyandry (; ) is a form of polygamy in which a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time. Polyandry is contrasted with polygyny, involving one male and two or more females. If a marriage involves a plural number of "husbands and wives" ...
. The name "Watson" comes up often in this skit which could be a reference to Dr. Watson of the
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
series. This highlights a stereotype of archaeologists as detectives.


"Mr. and Mrs. Git"

The host of a party (
Graham Chapman Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the surreal comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel and the lead role in two P ...
) introduces John Stokes (
Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries. Palin w ...
) to his neighbour A Sniveling Little Rat-Faced Git (
Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh comedian, director, historian, actor, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy team. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and ...
) and then leaves them to an awkward conversation. John has some trouble absorbing the knowledge that this string of insults is the man's name; meeting A Sniveling Little Rat-Faced's wife, Dreary Fat Boring Old Git (
John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...
), doesn't help. John's wife Norah Jane approaches and he reluctantly introduces them by their full names. Mr and Mrs Git chat about how their children, Dirty Lying Little Two-Faced and Ghastly Spotty Horrible Vicious Little, are constantly teased for their unfortunate surname; and about other matters as disgusting as their names. Mr and Mrs Stokes try to escape the conversation. The sketch is then restarted in a "nice version": as before, the host introduces John to his neighbour and turns away, but this time the neighbor's name is Mr Watson. A nun (
Carol Cleveland Carol Cleveland (born 13 January 1942) is a British-American actress and comedian, particularly known for her work with Monty Python. Early life Born in East Sheen, London, she moved to the United States with her mother and U.S. Air Force step ...
) tells the audience that she "preferred the dirty version". She is then punched by a boxer (Terry Gilliam).


Archaeological perspective

This skit highlights an anthropological concern of the "Culture Clash" of modern
globalization Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
. The mixing of people with different cultural backgrounds can cause situations where someone's name and daily life practices can make others in a social situation feel uncomfortable. The mixing of cultures makes life more interesting but more complicated. The reference to the nun liking the "dirty version" also could be viewed as her saying that she preferred the real version not the censored one, preferring a "real life" situation than one created for public consumption.


"Roy and Hank Spim – Mosquito hunters"

This episode begins with brothers Hank (
Graham Chapman Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the surreal comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel and the lead role in two P ...
) and Roy (
Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadwa ...
) walking through what seems to be fairly rough country terrain. As Hank pulls a
bazooka Bazooka () is the common name for a Man-portable anti-tank systems, man-portable recoilless Anti-tank warfare, anti-tank rocket launcher weapon, widely deployed by the United States Army, especially during World War II. Also referred to as the ...
out of the back of a trailer, the narrator (
John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...
) explains how the fearless backwoodsmen brothers have chosen a life of violence in a world where only the fittest survive. It is the brothers thirst of adventure that lead them off mosquito hunting. When they are asked why they don't simply use fly spray, Roy answers "well, where's the sport in that?". Suddenly, Hank spots the first mosquito of the day. Viewers are left tense as they watch both brothers crawl through the bushes to ambush the mosquito. As Roy fires off a
bazooka Bazooka () is the common name for a Man-portable anti-tank systems, man-portable recoilless Anti-tank warfare, anti-tank rocket launcher weapon, widely deployed by the United States Army, especially during World War II. Also referred to as the ...
, Hank quickly follows by shooting off a
machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
. As the smoke from their shots begins to dissipate, the brothers, with delight, notice that they have successfully killed the mosquito. However, just as a measure of precaution, Roy approaches the body and fires off a few more rounds from his
machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
. Hank then proceeds by pulling out an enormous curved knife and skins the mosquito. It is said that the wings of a fully grown mosquito can be sold for anything up to point eight of a penny of the open market. After a long and hard day of hunting the two brothers return to their camp for a restful night. Before they can rest, the two brothers, surrounded by their trophies, discuss a much greater adventure: they are planning a moth hunt. In preparing for the moth hunt, Hank describes how he will use a helicopter to lure the moth away from the flowers. This will present Roy with the perfect opportunity to come along in his Lockheed Starfighter and attack the moth with air-to-air missiles.


Archaeological perspective

This article can be related to the field and study of archaeology in many ways. As will be explained, it relates to the field in relation to the appeal of adventure and the fashion. As noted in Timothy Clack and Marcus Brittain's book ''Archaeology and the Media'', in the clip one can see that both Roy and Hank match the description. Both brothers are seen throughout the clip dressed in typical colonial wear. The action of hunting the mosquitoes is also greatly dramatized to give it more of an archaeo-appeal. The hunt is also very glamorized and portrayed as being very dangerous. To simply kill a mosquito, both brothers use weapons of mass destruction instead of simple fly spray. The various ways in which archaeology as a field is glamorized are also noted and further explained in Cornelius Holtorf's book ''From Stonehenge to Las Vegas'' and in ''Archaeology as a Brand!''. Glamorizing a field like archaeology can be used as a method of attracting more people and gaining their interest.


"Poofy Judges"

Two judges (
Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadwa ...
and
Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries. Palin w ...
), taking off their robes in a dressing room, chat in a
campy Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Camp aesthetics disrupt many of modernism's notions of what art is and what can be classified as high art by inverting aes ...
manner. One reports that he did his summing-up "in a butch voice", and the jury loved it. They reminisce about flirtations in court.


"Mrs. Thing and Mrs. Entity"

Two middle-aged women (
Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadwa ...
and
Graham Chapman Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the surreal comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel and the lead role in two P ...
) meet on a park bench and commiserate: both are exhausted from trivial exertions (making tea, shopping for nothing). They comfort themselves with the thought that women in the past had worse morning chores: Mrs
Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, (3 August 186714 December 1947) was a British Conservative Party politician who dominated the government of the United Kingdom between the world wars, serving as prime minister on three occasions, ...
had to catch partridges with her bare hands, Mrs
William Pitt the Elder William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, (15 November 170811 May 1778) was a British statesman of the Whig group who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him Chatham or William Pitt the Elder to distinguish ...
had to dig for
truffle A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including ''Geopora'', ''Peziz ...
s with her nose, and Mrs Beethoven had to spur on her husband's mynah bird.


"Beethoven's Mynah Bird (Shakespeare, Michelangelo, & Colin 'Chopper' Mozart (ratcatcher))"

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
(
John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...
) sits at his piano. A rude
mynah bird The myna (; also spelled mynah) is a bird of the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which are native to southern Asia, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Several species have been introduced to areas like ...
perches nearby, not making any noise; Beethoven shouts, "You don't fool me, you stupid mynah bird, I'm not deaf yet!" After the bird cackles at him, Beethoven shoots it and it falls off its perch. He is clearly agitated with difficulty composing his Fifth Symphony. He only becomes more agitated as his wife (
Graham Chapman Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the surreal comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel and the lead role in two P ...
) runs a vacuum cleaner and pesters him about a missing sugar bowl and other mundane matters. The scene then cuts to
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
(
Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadwa ...
),
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
(
Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh comedian, director, historian, actor, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy team. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and ...
), and
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
(
Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries. Palin w ...
), all discussing the names of their current projects comically while discussing their issues with their home life. Mozart's rat-catcher son, Colin "Chopper" Mozart, then goes to shoot some rats in Beethoven's apartment with a machine gun. Mrs Thing and Mrs Entity remark that Beethoven was glad when he went deaf, because there would be less distractions while he composed music. Beethoven and the mynah reappear, with the mynah bird miming " The Guy Who Found the Lost Chord" by
Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced song ...
. The episode closes with a return to the Judges, still chatting about various random topics.


References

{{Monty Python, state=collapsed Monty Python 1970 British television episodes Cultural depictions of Ludwig van Beethoven Cultural depictions of William Shakespeare Cultural depictions of Michelangelo Cultural depictions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart