The September 2012 issue of The SAA Archaeological Record, the magazine of the Society for American Archaeology, includes a wonderful cartoon history of the myth of the Moundbuilders. Written and illustrated by Trent De Boer, author of the fanzine Shovel Bum and the book Shovel Bum: Comix of Archaeological Field Life. This isn’t the first time De Boer’s work has been featured in the SAA Archaeological Record. In the November 2005 issue his art graced the cover of a special issue devoted to “Cartoons in Archaeology.”
De Boer’s illustrated history of the “Myth of the Moundbuilders” tells the story with humor and intelligence and I highly recommend it. And of course, he had the good sense to lead off the story with an image of Ohio’s Serpent Mound — the most recognizable icon of ancient America’s mound-building cultures and an inspiration for much modern myth-making. Hopefully, De Boer’s entertaining comic will help to undermine the myths by telling the story of how archaeologists solved the mystery behind America’s mounds. Brad Lepper
