Archaeology?

Question

I'm studying to be an archaeologist, but I just wanted to know what kind of jobs are offered to people with a degree like mine? So far I have a bachelors but I'm planning on going to post-grad. I'm very intrested in travel and ANY outdoor jobs. I love nature and traveling...

Answer 1

I'm about to graduate with a degree in anthropology, archaeology concentration. I've been working off and on the past two years as an archaeologist and have come to realize I don't like it that much...definately not enough to compensate for the lack of money and the other negatives that come along with it....

So I'm in the process of trying to find some sort of 'regular' job.... most of the jobs I think I'd qualify for with my anthro/archaeology skills are things like research analyst/assistant/associate.... i've found a many good prospects, but I don't know how it will work out... kinda wishing I had a more marketable set of skills.  Unless some sort of job comes along requiring digging very neat holes, or analyzing dead peoples trash, my archaeology skills probably won't get any use.

i'd post a link to some of the jobs I'm looking at, but I really don't need any more competition as it is...

Answer 2

I was an archaeologist and I think that you are making a mistake. The person above me, makes some good points, but why study a field that comes with a vow of poverty. I worked for a contract archaeology company and the money was terrible and the travel was terrible. I had to go back to school because I didnt make enough to pay the loans that I needed for the degree to get the job in the first place. The people in the company with masters, didnt make much more than I did. I would like to think that my company was the exception to the rule and just simply didnt pay the staff, but that wasnt the case. All companies compeat for contracts, and the company with the lowest bid always wins. Therefore, the discount is passed to you.

Also, being outside is nice, but I liken it to being a landscaper who does not plant anything. You dig a hole, take your measurements and fill it in without planting anything. Personally, I could have done without the partnering up for tick checks and the constant fear of Lyme Disease. But, that is if you actually get a contract to dig. Otherwise, you are scrubbing rocks with a toothbrush (how I spent the majority of the time).

Lastly, travel? Where do you think you are going to go? You are not going to get hired anywhere other than America. The rest of the world practices a different type of archaeology, so they wont hire you. The only way that you will have any opportunity abroad is if you get connected with a university. However, they usually use their students as slave labor rather than paying you. I live in Philadelphia and the most exciting place that I dug was in Hershey Parks parking lot. And we didnt find anything except how easy it was to get heat stroke.

Sorry to paint such a glum picture, but its the truth. Now, there is some (a little, not much) money in travel teching. But they are usually short in duration and sporadic in nature. Thus, you cant rely on them for a steady income. Also, I hope that you dont plan on having a social life. You will miss out on alot because of the job. And fear the 10 on 4 off. That is working 10 days in a row and the next 4 off. It really sucks and is very common for distant digs.

Good luck, you really screwed yourself just like I did. All I got out of it was a good story to break the ice with strangers.

Answer 3

Try oil exploration or mining companies in CANADA.......

Answer 4

Oil Companies, Major Developers, Governments, or Schools.

Answer 5

good morning

Answer 6

We need the research and field archeologist more than anything else. Petroleum geologists can easily work side-by-side with them.

We need to know the layers of the Earth that went thru traumatic episodes, and why...perhaps to prevent them, or try to avoid them.

Answer 7

Most of the archaeologists I went to grad school with are still basically shovel bums, though now they are the ones in charge.  Search current job listings for all positions that require a degree in archaeology or anthropology.

Don't worry so much about what jobs are available to you--start focusing on how you can CREATE your own job based on your specific interests and education.

My advice to you is to think about your hobbies, interests, and skills, as well as your specific archaeological interests.  You've already listed travel and the outdoors for interests; add photography and writing, and you have the makings of a National Geographic Magazine writer, or author of a travel book focusing on archaeological sites.  

Join the Society for American Archaeology (saa.org)--they have great resources for employment.

Here's a Website that may help:

http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/a...

Hope this helps!  Good luck to you.

Answer 8

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 eceonmic boom. Once that boom starts, advancement will be easier than it is today.