Archaeology: The Comic

It's a different kind of archaeology textbook. Call it, 'archaeology lite.' But make no mistake, Archaeology: The Comic is something to seriously consider when deciding on what to use for your introductory archaeology class or for introducing archaeology to any beginner. In a brief 150 pages, Johannes Loubser takes the reader through every major topic in contemporary archaeology from the processual/post-processual debate to how to properly lay out a site grid —all done visually through the magic of cartooning. Follow Squizee as she discovers the inner workings of archaeology after pothunting is discovered on her family farm. Squizee is taught how to survey, excavate, analyze, interpret, and preserve archaeological sites and their material remains. She learns about site protection laws, consultation, museum exhibition and a variety of other public archaeology topics. She visits experts who explain the complexities of carbon dating, ground-penetrating radar, flotation, and thermoluminescence, among other analytical methods. And she develops an understanding of how all these tools allow archaeologists to make confident interpretations of the past. Presented visually, the complex workings of archaeology become transparent to the beginning student or the general reader. Try using Archaeology: The Comic next semester—it may not contain superheroes, but your students will think of you as one.