Comics and Archaeology

Description

This book adds to the scant academic literature investigating how comics transmit knowledge of the past and how this refraction of the past shapes our understanding of society and politics in sometimes damaging ways. The volume comes at these questions from a specifically archaeological perspective, foregrounding the representation and narrative use of material cultures. It fulfils its objectives through three reception studies in the first part of the volume and three chapters by comic creators in the second part. All six chapters aim to grapple with a set of central questions about the power inherent in drawn images of various kinds. Acknowledgements Contents List of Contributors List of Figures Introduction: Why Comics and Archaeology? Notes References ‘The Aliens from 2,000 B.C.!’: Truth, Fiction and Pseudoarchaeology in American Comic Books Fortean Truth-Fiction Pseudoarchaeology in American Comics The Books of Atlantean History “Man-Gods from Beyond the Stars” A Web of Fortean Truth-Fiction Notes References Panels from the South Seas: Pacific Colonialism, Archaeology, and Pseudoscience in Francophone Bande Dessinée Europe and the Pacific: Colonialism, Races and Monuments Rapa Nui and Archaeology-Fiction Is the Truth Out There? Science Fiction Narratives in the Pacific Visual Syncretism and Collateral Damage Beyond the Panels: Pacific Studies, Indigeneity and Science Communication Notes References Making Sargon Great Again: Reuse and Reappropriation of Ancient Mesopotamian Imagery in Fan-Art of the Online Right The Copper Head of an Old Akkadian Ruler An Old Akkadian Artefact in New Company Fan Art of “Sargon of Akkad”, the YouTuber Fandom and Fan Art Far Right Appropriation of Ancient Imagery Conclusion: Negotiating Meaning Between Academics, Fans, and Online Media Notes References Creating Comics for Public Engagement in Roman Aeclanum: Illustrating Ancient History The Context of Aeclanum Aims for the Comic Consideration 1: Type of Visual Narrative Consideration 2: Style and Distribution Consideration 3: Audiences Community Engagement 2018 Adult Survey 2018 Children’s Survey Creating the Comic as an Artist-Practitioner Measuring Impact of the Comic Feedback Samples from the Website Classroom Outreach Final Outcomes Project Reflections Notes References “Mix, Mould, Fire!”: Comic Art and Educational Outreach Inspired by Archaeology Introduction The Archaeological Context: Pottery Manufacturing at Seyitömer Höyük The Educational Context: Comics and Multimodal Pedagogies Comic Art Interpretation: “Mix, Mould, Fire!” Outreach at George K. Porter Middle School in Los Angeles, California Outreach at University of South Florida Preschool for Creative Learning in Tampa, Florida Discussion Conclusion and Future Directions Notes References “They Do Things Differently There”: Articulating the Unfamiliar Past in Community Heritage Comics References Index