Evil from an ancient past and the archaeology of the beyond. An analysis of the movies The Exorcist (1973) and The Evil Dead (1981)

In this essay I discuss two classic horror movies from the 1970s and 1980s, The Exorcist (1973) and The Evil Dead (1981). Both movies track the evil’s origin, or at least its historical evidence, to ancient Mesopotamia. In both movies, archaeology plays a crucial role, dealing with or evoking this ancient evil. In the main part of the article, I analyze the two movies focusing on ancient Near Eastern motives and the role played by archaeology. Then I discuss how the reference to ancient Mesopotamian demons builds an idea of remoteness and pre-/intra-religious existence of evil. Furthermore, I draw some conclusions on the figure of the archaeologist who has to deal with the world of the beyond, extending my analysis to the Indiana Jones saga. I conclude with a consideration on the ethic of archaeology promoted in Hollywood movies.