Fame
No real-life archaeologist has been able to match the fame of Indiana Jones, a glorified treasure hunter. But if you were to sit down with Dr. Jones and ask him who the most famous archaeologist of his time was, he would say V. Gordon Childe (watch the scene in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull where Indy says he was influenced by Childe's theory of cultural diffusion).
Archaeologists might make a splash on the cover of National Geographic for trying to resurrect the Titanic from the sea or opening King Tut's sealed tomb, but it's the great discoveries, not the discoverers, who get the most attention. (George Bass and Howard Carter are hardly household names).