Any future in Archaeology??

Question

I am going to a university to pursue an Archaeology profession. I am SO interested in it and i love taking the classes. But, all around me my friends are getting business degrees and engineering degrees because they know there is a future in it. I am scared i am going to leave school with a useless degree. Does anyone know what a few of my options are? ( i love the digging, travel, and mysterious aspects of Archaeology) I would love just to be able to make a living out of what i am truelly passionate about

Answer 1

Archaeologist are often hired by business corporations and government agencies in order to protect or identify areas of cultural and archaeological interests.

If you want to be an archaeologist go for it! It's better then a desk job you don't like.

Answer 2

Though I may not have anywhere near the experience Earwax of Satan does, I too, am an archaeologist, working in Cultural Resource Management.  As long as you have a field school, get at least your B.A. for right now, and are not picky about bouncing around the country, you should be alright in finding a CRM job after college.  It may take you a while to get a foot in the door, but if you go through a connected field school, and talk to different people, you should be able to find a job without too much trouble.  A HUGE help is to go to www.shovelbums.org and sign up for their email list.  It will send new job postings to you, and you can also view the list of field schools posted on the site.  As for making a living, it depends on what you define as making a living... if you are looking for a job where you can own your own home, be there every night, have a nice garden out back and have a couple of kids, no... CRM is not for you.  For that kind of living, a degree in museum studies would fit better.... or perhaps getting a job as a teacher would work for you.  HOWEVER... if your idea of making a living entails having fun, making enough money to cover your bills (though not LOTS of money), and you are not afraid of traveling around, CRM could be just right for you.  Regardless of what your friends and family might tell you, it's well worth following your dream and having a job you enjoy that pays you decent, rather than a job you hate, in an office you despise only because it's the "normal" thing to do.  Besides, most people with business degrees get the bubble popped when they find they still have to start at the bottom and they can't be a manager right out the door... who wants to wear a tie anyway....LOL ;)

I can tell you all kinds of things about working - and living in the field of CRM, so if you are interested, feel free to contact me, and I will tell you more about it... Good luck in college, go boldly down the path less taken, and don't be afraid.

Answer 3

Follow your heart . You are not a groupee.

Answer 4

Working at what you're interested in is much more emotionally (if not monetarily) rewarding than just working for a paycheck.

Answer 5

I am minoring in anthropology (major in Sociology)  and I kind  of understand where you are coming from. One way to make sure you have a better chance of getting a great job in your feild of chioce is to get higher than a Bachelor's. I plan on getting at least a masters, which will open me up to alot more jobs in my field. With just a BA or BS, you may end up in a job that has nothing to do with your educational backround. Keep at it though, I LOVE my soc and anthro classes, and because I love them, I enjoy school and get good grades!

Answer 6

There is hope.  Below is the text I entered for a similar question a few weeks ago.  

I  have been a professional archaeologist for 20+ years. I have worked both in an academic setting and in the cultural resource management industry, and I have loved every minute of it, and made more than enough money to live comfortably. As with anything in life, if you work hard and make sure that you position yourself well by getting the credentials you need to allow yourself to advance- with a little luck, you will be on your way to a rewarding career. By credentials - I am talking about - MINIMALLY - an M.A. from a well-recognized university. A PhD is a big step up, but it might not help you break into the field which employs 90+% of the professional archaeologists in the USA - cultural resource management.

Right now, the U.S. economy is in pretty bad shape. Both the CRM and acadmic fields will be hurting for quite a while. However, an industrious archaeologist with reasonable expectations and enought drive to offer a few temporary sacrifices, will likely be able to find a position in consulting (CRM) and ride the economic waves into the next economic boom. Once that boom starts, advancement will be easier than it is today.