How did comics scholars in the 1970s connect comics to ancient word-and-image art?

In the 1970s, comics scholars sought to validate the medium's importance by establishing a historical lineage that connected contemporary comics to ancient forms of word-and-image communication. By framing comics as an evolution of these primal building blocks, researchers argued that the medium was not merely a modern invention but part of a long-standing tradition of narrative art.1

To support this connection, scholars identified a "prehistory" of the medium that included:

• Ancient and Medieval Works: Cave paintings, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Mayan carvings, illuminated manuscripts, and the Bayeux Tapestry.1
• Early Printing and Satire: Early woodcut printing, the engravings of William Blake, and the serial illustrations of William Hogarth and Rodolphe Töpffer.1

By situating comics within this broader historical context, academics helped elevate the medium's status, positioning it as a sophisticated aesthetic and communicative tool capable of the same complexity as traditional literature.12