Why Football Archaeology?

Football Archaeology digs into gridiron history to examine how football’s evolution shapes today's game. Period images and a dash of humor help tell each thoroughly researched story.

Football Archaeology was named a Substack Featured Publication in September 2023.

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Tim Brown is the author of four books on football history, appears on various football history podcasts, and has been quoted in articles by The Athletic, The Chicago Tribune, ESPN, and other publications. He guest authors articles on Uni Watch, and his research on the 1920s West Point Cavalry Detachment teams contributed to All American: The Power of Sports, recently on display at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C.

A History of the Football is the first book to examine the history of the gridiron football and its evolutionary path from the rugby ball origins to today’s distinctive prolate spheroid. Available here.

Hut! Hut! Hike! A History of Football Terminology explores the history of football’s vocabulary by examining when and why 400+ familiar words and expressions entered the game. Available here.

How Football Became Football covers the first 150 years of gridiron football, examining the game on and off the field, and highlighting the famous and obscure who influenced the game's evolution. Available here.

Fields of Friendly Strife describes the teams and times of the military teams of the 1918 and 1919 Rose Bowls, including their seasons, military experiences, and lives before and after the Rose Bowl games. Available here.

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Digging into gridiron history to examine how football's evolution shapes today's game.

People

Football historian. Author of footballarchaeology.com "How Football Became Football" http://tinyurl.com/y9kpfe58 "Fields of Friendly Strife" http://tinyurl.com/y7r7qheu