Shovel Bum: Comix of Archaeological Field Life

Half the “fun” of being an archaeologist in America is the experience of fieldwork. Shovel bums endure weeks of flea-bitten motel beds, greasy roadhouse food, temperamental vehicles, and long stretches of boredom to practice that most romantic of intellectual endeavors—archaeology. Underpaid and unappreciated, they have struck back at the archaeological bureaucracy that never gets its hands dirty with this collection of comics. Developed by Trent de Boer while on assignment in Arkansas and supplemented by his friends and colleagues, Shovel Bum takes a humorous look at the trials and tribulations of American field archaeologists. Some of the episodes will have you in stitches; others will have you in tears. It’s all great fun (in retrospect) for old hands and an education for aspiring archaeologists.