Special Issue: Cartoons in Archaeology - Society for American ...

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ARTICLEprojects, such as shovel testing suburban frontyards—the kinds of projects that make you questionyour initial decision to become an archaeologist.Every shovel bum worth his or her salt has dozensof good, usually hilarious, field stories, and ShovelBum has long served as a clearinghouse.On the other hand, Shovel Bum is also aboutacknowledging the joys of being an archaeologist(Figure 4). The old phrase “a bad day in the field isbetter than a good day in the office” is the mantra ofmany a shovel bum. It is not uncommon for archaeologiststo put up with month after month of drearyoffice work for that one perfect field day each season.The most memorable field experiences eventuallyfind their way into my comix.Over the years, Shovel Bum has evolved into a“lifestyle”-oriented zine, as opposed to its earlier“how-to” emphasis. A big factor in this evolution hasFigure 2.been the many contributors who submit comix, stories,and other works for publication. Issue #3 containedthe first contributions from other shovelbums, and each subsequent issue has featured more and more. Our contributors draw upon a widerange of experiences, and the result is that each issue of Shovel Bum provides a window into the archaeologicalfield worker’s lifestyle.At the same time we began including contributors’ work, we also began to loosely structure each issuewith themes. To date, we have published themed issues on field food, bad motels, military work, fieldvehicles, construction monitoring, and extreme archaeology. In addition to organization, the themeshelp focus the ideas of our contributors into something tangible. Many ideas for Shovel Bum are kickedaround in the field but fail to materialize into something publishable unless I crack the editing whip afew times.In true zine fashion, each issue is alsofilled with a random assortment ofmaterial that in no way fits with theissue’s theme. Zines are renowned formeandering back and forth, changing atthe whim of the publisher’s interests(Duncombe 1997). We have publishedletters to the editor, pickled egg recipes,poetry, games (crossword puzzles, wordsearches, quizzes), essays, reviews, andmore. This variety reflects the manyinterests held by archaeological fieldworkers.Community is a constant emphasis inthe pages of Shovel Bum. Those who stayin the business for more than a fewyears realize that there really are not thatmany people in the business (Figure 5).More often than not, every big CRMFigure 3.project is a shovel bum reunion. Veteran20 The SAA Archaeological Record • November 2005
ARTICLEshovel bums provide importanttraining and leadership to greenhorns,training that can only begained through direct, on-the-jobexperience. In turn, those whostick it out become veterans intheir own right and provide trainingto the next wave of greenhorns.I have always admired thesense of communal supportamongst shovel bums, and I haveconsciously tried to portray it inmy comix with the hope that otherswill also feel like they belongto this unique little community.Last year, AltaMira Press publishedShovel Bum: Comix ofArchaeological Field Life (de Boer Figure 4.2004). The book collects the firsteight issues of Shovel Bum. Since itsrelease, we have published two more issues and will bepublishing issue #11 (Field Food, Part II) later this year.For those interested in contributing to Shovel Bum,please contact me at dutchcircus@hotmail.com orhttp://www.shovelbum.com.References Citedde Boer, Trent2004 Shovel Bum: Comix of Archaeological Field Life. AltaMiraPress, Walnut Creek, CA.Duncombe, Stephen1997 Notes From the Underground: Zines and the Politics ofAlternative Culture. Verso, London and New York.McCloud, Scott1993 Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. Kitchen SinkPress, Northampton, MA.Porcellino, John A.2005 Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man. La Mano, Minneapolis.Figure 5.November 2005 • The SAA Archaeological Record21
Page 7 and 8: 71ST ANNUAL MEETINGsan gerónimo an
Page 9 and 10: SAA COMMITTEESCOMMITTEE REPORT: ETH
Page 11 and 12: ARTICLECHARLIE BROWN IN THE CLASSRO
Page 13 and 14: ARTICLEThis move toward varying the
Page 15 and 16: Archaeologists almost daily useconc
Page 17 and 18: Northwestern Plains Indians, such a
Page 19 and 20: Seen in actual ethnographic context
Page 21: ARTICLETHE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ZINESHOVE
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Page 29 and 30: EXCHANGESCOMICS AND PREHISTORYA EUR
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Page 33 and 34: ARTICLEFigure 1: Mycenae palace cou
Page 35 and 36: ARTICLEFigure 4: Troy at night.Reco
Page 37 and 38: ARTICLEIn February 1997, the Smiths
Page 39 and 40: ARTICLEties over the terms of the M
Page 43 and 44: POSITIONS OPENPosition: Assistant P
Page 45 and 46: NEWS & NOTESchronometric theory, an
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