Editor's note: And now a word from our Chief Science Correspondent, Andrew Hiscock. -Demian

If there is one issue facing video games these days, it's the gross misrepresentation and exploitation of archaeologists. While many believe this gentleman's pursuit consists primarily of Nazi killing and punching Nazis in the monocle before killing them, that doesn't tell the full story.

Indeed, archaeology is an academic paradigm that prides itself on exacting science and the consumption of copious amounts of alcohol -- though you sure wouldn't know it from video game archaeologists. In order to correct this mischaracterization in the industry, I have ventured to outline exactly who is ruining the study of archaeology and exactly what their infractions are.

Dig Dug

While digging holes so that they are dug seems a reasonable way to pass the time and kill monsters, the protagonist Taizo Hori is a suspension of funding waiting to happen. While his professional misconduct may seem minor compared to some on this list, he's been doing it for almost 30 years! Ridiculous and Ridigdugulous.

Infractions: Excavating without a permit. Eating artifacts. Extermination of local fauna.

Lara Croft

Of course Tomb Raider's Lara Croft was going to be on this list. While we can commend her boobs for doing the most for the public awareness of archaeology since Harrison Ford's rugged good looks, she is not without her indiscretions. Her journal articles are absolutely atrocious, what with protecting the locations of the tombs she raids. Little know fact: Her controls were originally designed to mirror the grid system employed by archaeologists at dig sites. Not that you ever saw her actually using that methodology.

Infractions: Tomb Raiding. Raiding Tombs. Killing animals at archaeological sites, thus compromising the quality of radiocarbon dating results. Violating UNESCO international conventions on short shorts.

Indiana Jones

Why would Indiana Jones be a villain? Aside from being incredibly good looking, he's also quite attractive. While he did want to place treasures in museums and/or government sponsored warehouses of ill-repute, he did so under the paradigm of his day, which we now call antiquarianism.

This type of archaeology is effectively treasure hunting -- removing priceless artifacts from their archaeological context with little to no research. While some may claim that it would be difficult to create a compelling adventurer who studied midden heaps and coprolite (fossilized poo), in reality, Indiana Jones was all about killing Nazis. (Which, I might add, is still an important archaeological discipline, and Indiana Jones' advancements in this sub-field are beyond reproach).

Finally, while archaeology is a destructive practice, essentially ruining any site at which it is performed, Indiana Jones usually blew up his finds before properly documenting them. Fortunately, his video games of late haven't been so hot, so his effect on archaeology via the medium of games has been negligible.

Infractions: Antiquarianism. Having Shia LeBeouf for a son. Improper documentation techniques while practicing proper techniques to blow up a site.

Nathan Drake

The male Tomb Raider, Nathan Drake gave video game players reason to buy the PlayStation 3. His archaeology, however, leaves something to be desired. While his fight against pirates for a golden statue was the best of two evils, his ring from Sir Francis Drake is not a registered and cataloged artifact. Do you know how much trouble that can get you into? His antics in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves were no better.

Infractions: Being the male tomb raider. Disrupting the chain of custody of the phurba. Possessing unregistered archaeological artifacts.

The Endless Ocean Diver

While shipwrecks and underwater heritage are dicey subjects, given ambiguous and inconsistent legislation and international waters, the Endless Ocean diver may not be, technically speaking, committing crimes. But his ethics are certainly questionable. Not once did I ever see him properly document a site using slates, and picking up artifacts willy nilly is certainly no way to behave.

Infractions: Pirate diving. Not receiving proper Occupational/Scientific Diver certification. Excessive fondling of fish.