What does it take to become an archaeologist?

Question

I have dreamed of becoming one since I was a child but only now am I actually considering it. I am a parent, is this career choice compatible with tending to a family? Where do I start? What's it like (anyone with experience)?

Answer 1

Definitely possible.

Your best bet to start with is to volunteer with a local university or state archaeological society to make sure that this is what you really want.  Once you've affirmed your commitment, here are some of the realities of the job market:

* 90% of professional archaeologists in the USA (and in most developed nations) work as consultants, not at colleges or universities.

* To do archaeology professionally and to make a decent living at it, you really need - minimally - an M.A. and 3 or more years of fied experience. Even with these credentials, most decent consulting firms won't take you seriously until you have paid your dues through hard part-time work for a while.

* There are very few academic jobs out there.  Earning a PhD will not guarantee you a job anywhere, and can be a hindrance if you plan on going into consulting.  Most firms will assume, unless you have been active as a consultant throughout grad school, that you really want a teaching job, and will be hesistant to hire you as a consultant.  Also, the amount of time usually required to earn a PhD means that you will have limited time to gain field and lab experience which are appropriate aand practical for the consulting field while in grad school.  Many PhDs are awarded to people with very little real experience in archaeology every year.  These people have very limited prospects anywhere because there is no shortage of PhDs out there to fill the few academic positions out there and there are scads of more qualified people who have developed a longer list of experiences for consulting jobs.

Sorry ifthis all sounds negative.  Here is the up-side. If I can do it, so can you!

Answer 2

This is not a very practical career choice for a parent, unless you want to be away from your child for months at a time. Unless you are lucky enough to live close to an important archaeological dig, you will likely have to travel extremely far.

To become an archaeologist, you must first get a bachelor's degree in archaeology or anthropology with a focus on archaeology. Most professional archaeologists, however, usually have a master's degree or higher, and have field school experience, which will cost you a few thousand dollars.  

Answer 3

Archeology is taught in Universities. You can do a search on-line to find a school near you that offers it. University can be extremely expensive and time consuming, and Archaeologists are required to travel frequently. Whether or not you would be able to do all of this when you have children depends on whether or not you're willing to dedicate more time to yourself, and if you have someone who can take care of your children while you are studying and/or traveling. Also, the cost of the course itself and materials is something to take into consideration.

I hope this helped.