How do you become an archaeologist?

Question

What would you study in college?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Short cut find something really rare and neat.

Answer 2

from URL: http://www.ehow.com/how_12536_become-arc...

Introduction

According to Indiana Jones and the movie world, archaeology is filled with constant excitement. In reality, however, the excavation process is slow and tedious, often involving strenuous physical work in grueling heat. For those in the field, the possibility of discovering artifacts from past civilizations is thrilling, regardless of the conditions.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Steps

1Step OneTake numerous courses in history, anthropology, geology, geography and human physiology during your undergraduate years. Your bachelor's degree can be in history, anthropology or archaeology, depending on your school's offerings. The field is extremely competitive, so make certain your grades are excellent.

2Step TwoApply to graduate schools that are currently involved in major archaeological digs. Remember that money for excavations comes from grants, and that a school must have an excellent reputation in order to receive this type of funding.

3Step ThreeAsk to work on your professors' archaeological digs once you have begun working toward your master's degree. Expect the work to be menial but necessary for your future.

4Step FourWork in museums or on local excavations, if possible, and by assisting professors during the school year.

5Step FiveObtain the mandatory Ph.D. as soon as you can. The degree is necessary for a university teaching position, which is what most archaeologists do when they are not involved in a dig.

6Step SixMake yourself known in the field by writing well enough to have your articles published in journals. That will add to your strengths when you apply for grants. It is also required of full professors.

Tips & Warnings

*Keep up-to-date by reading archaeological journals regularly.

*Jobs for archaeologists may also exist in museums.

*Corporations hire archaeologists when artifacts are discovered in construction sites, halting progress.

Answer 3

Anthropology, usually.  Really, though, as long as you have a bachelor's and field school, you can find a job as a CRM archaeologist.  See archaeologyfieldwork.com and shovelbums.org for what kind of work is out there at that level.  Those are the two sites that most of us get our jobs from, so they're a really good resource.  Again, anthropology degrees are the most common, but I know people with geology degrees, history degrees, and I have a liberal arts degree.  

If you want any sort of upward mobility in this profession, you'll need to go to grad school eventually.  Museum studies is a popular focus then, as there's less moving around required in that field.  If you stick with archaeology, there are tons of places you can specialize.  Focuses on things like historics, lithics (stone tools), and ceramics are especially useful, as many CRM firms hire specialists in those fields.

While you're in school, if you can, take computer classes (GIS is, seriously, the future of archaeology) and geology classes.  They're useful.

PS: the above post is wrong on a very important point.  The vast majority of US archaeologists work in the private sector.  While a PhD is nice, you can reach the highest rungs there with a master's, but the master's is a requirement.  PhDs are only required if you want to stay in academia.