Cargo Cults: Actually a Thing? - Dirt 191

First used to describe religious movements that emerged in Melanesia following contact with Allied military personnel in World War II, cargo cults are sects and ritualized behaviors intended to summon outsiders (and their stuff) back and bring about a new age. We’ll explore theories for why they come about, discuss some examples of cargo cults in the traditional definition, and consider what parallels might exist in other cultures. Interested in learning about how to use X-Rays and similar technology in archaeology? Check out the linked PaleoImaging course from James Elliot! Connect with James on Twitter: @paleoimaging Interested in sponsoring this show or podcast ads for your business? Zencastr makes it really easy! Click this message for more info. Links Cargo cults (The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Anthropology) How “Cargo Cult” Is Born: Scientific Angle on an Old Subject (Pacific Islands Monthly, via Trove) 50 Years Ago: Cargo Cults of Melanesia (Scientific American) The Cargo Cults (Air Force Magazine) Strange Stories of John Frum (Cargo Cult, via JSTOR) In John They Trust (Smithsonian Magazine) 'Cargo Cults' and the Prince Philip Movement (CenSAMM) Prince Philip: the unlikely but willing Pacific deity (The Guardian) Prince Philip: The Vanuatu tribes mourning the death of their 'god' (BBC News) Cargo Cult Science (Caltech Library) Contact Email the Dirt Podcast: [email protected] ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet Tee Public Store Affiliates Wildnote TeePublic Timeular Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.