Scott Moore

Scott Moore

Distinguished University Professor

What's a book that means a lot to you?

During my freshman year, I read Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay and ended up switching my major to classical archaeology. The book is a humorous, cleverly illustrated, satirical exploration of an archaeological excavation. As a freshman, I loved how clearly Macaulay demonstrated the pitfalls we create when we allow our own biases to shape our understanding of the past, and I began to reexamine how my own view of history was constructed. The book is as relevant today as it was then in making readers aware of the dangers of unexamined assumptions about the past, . . . and it is hilarious.

History professor Scott Moore’s research focuses on trade and communication in the Eastern Mediterranean from the second through the eighth centuries AD. He has participated in archaeological projects in Cyprus and Greece, as well as several underwater archaeology projects in North America.

Cover image for Motel of the Mysteries

Motel of the Mysteries

David Macaulay

Clarion Books, 1979

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