Archeology?

Question

Hey guys. I am 14 and im interested in archeology. I am interested in all the languages that the egyptions spoke and how they buried there dead. I like how that ancient cultures knew alot of stuff about space and time almost to what we knew today etc.

I wanted to know what was the day in a life of an archeologist. I mean is it just sitting on the ground brushing at bones? Can i specialise in structure archeology, so instead of digging up bones of like skeletons I can go find hidden caves and tombs etc.

does it require a tone of paitence? Do i travel alot. Anything like that would be apreciated thanks

Answer 1

I have been a professional archaeologist for 21 years, and, like you, became interested in the field at a very young age.  

There are many different answers to your question.  If you want to earn a living doing archaeology, there are two routes that your career might take - you can either be a consultant or an academic (think college professor).  To do either professionally, you will need, minimally, a Masters degree, and to teach full time at a university you will need a PhD.

Neither route is more challenging, realistically (I have done both), but even with all of the credentials in the world, getting a job in the academic world is very difficult and more a matter of luck than anything else. I generally do not recommend pursuing academic archaeology to people who are not independently wealthy.  But either way, you will be in college for a fairly long time and finding a job after school may be more of a challenge than your professors say.  

If you really want to specialize in archaeological structures, you would have to pursue the academic route - a specialty like this would be too narrow for a consulting archaeologist.  The same is true of bioarchaeology - the analysis of human remains found in archaeological sites.

Egyptology is a separate, though related, field which has more to do with the study of ancient languages and classical history than contemporary forms of archaeology.      

If archaeology as a whole interests you, then you should consider learning about how it is practiced in the private sector by consultants.  The job oppurtunities for consultants are better, the variety of projects is wider, and there is simply more money in it.  

Patience and the ability to travel are key to either path.  

Best of luck!  I don't mean to sound discouraging - after all, if I have done it, so can you!  And archaeology is a fun and very rewarding way of life.  Be ready to work hard though, and don't expect everything to be as interesting as what you see on TV.

Answer 2

I'm not an archeologist I am a professional student. I have 150 hours and no degree.  This is what I think. In a field like archeology it would be very hard to find satisfactory work without a PHD. With a doctorate degree you might be able to do anything you want within the field after a few years experience.