Is Indiana Jones inspired by a real archeologist?

In 1981, the whole world discovered an archaeologist like no other in Raiders of the Lost Ark, one Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)! Created by the father of Star Wars, George Lucas, the character is brought to life in 4 feature films directed by Steven Spielberg and the 5th installment directed by James Mangold: Dial Destiny.

Inspired by the great adventure films of the 40s and 50s, George Lucas created Indiana Jones from scratch, naming him after his first dog at the time. However, didn’t the author also take inspiration from other famous explorers to create his character?

Spielberg and Lucas have never confirmed or denied these hypotheses, but Indy may be the sum of several famous adventurers, such as Hiram Bingham, Roy Chapman Andrews or Percy Fawcett.

The first, Bingham, is an American explorer who discovered Machu Picchu in 1911, an ancient Inca city from the 15th century in Peru. The other, Andrews, is a paleontologist and naturalist, also an American. Born in 1884, died in 1960. As for the 3rd, Fawcett, James Gray dedicated a film in 2016: The Lost City of Z.

Percival Harrison Fawcett, born in England in 1867, has been presumed dead since 1925. A British cartographer, archaeologist and explorer, he disappeared into the Brazilian jungle while trying to find a lost city. Her body has never been found and her disappearance has given rise to many theories and rumours. It remains a mystery to this day.

Note that the look of Indiana Jones was inspired by Harry Styles, played by Charlton Heston in the film Secret of the Incas, directed by Jerry Hopper in 1954. This work is considered the matrix of the indie saga.

We follow Harry Steele, a former fighter pilot. The latter is on the trail of Inca jewelry in Peru. To reach his destination, he boards a diplomat’s plane with a mysterious Romanian refugee. Once there, he meets Dr. Moorhead, who is already doing archeological work at the Machu Picchu site.