Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication

Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication.
Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication is a collection of essays about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), edited by Douglas Vakoch and published by NASA in 2014. Each of its four sections explores a different topic: (1) the history of SETI as a field; (2) archaeological comparisons for human–alien communication, such as the difficulties of translating ancient languages; (3) the inferential gap between humans and aliens, and the consequences this would have for communication and trade; and (4) the potential nature of alien intelligences. Upon its release, the book received widespread media coverage and generally positive reviews. It was at the center of controversy when publications such as TheBlaze, The Huffington Post, and Artnet misreported a quote about ancient stone carvings from one of its essays, which rhetorically stated that the carvings "might have been made by aliens" for all that they were understood by modern anthropologists.