In this paper, we describe the merits of "visual archaeology," or understanding the past through the analysis of images, as a method for teaching historical context. We begin by articulating the typical archaeological process for studying and analyzing material artifacts, and then describe the possibilities this process offers for considering images that also represent change through time--in this case, cover art from several editions of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin." We argue that this method of teaching this important text helps students engage with the text's afterlife even when they possess little initial familiarity with the cultural contexts of its many editions.