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Several
junior high, high school, and college students have requested
interviews with me for class projects since I'm an archaeologist.
I felt like there was a need to make the interview questions
and my answers public. I hope this interview will help other
students who are doing similar projects. I'll try to keep
posting new questions and answers as they come in.
Do
you have a question about archaeology or a comment about this
web site? Please
Michael
What
education did you go through/what degrees did you have to
earn to become an archaeologist? What is archaeology, and
what is anthropology?
Archaeologists
are typically trained as anthropologists in America, as archaeology
is actually a sub-discipline of anthropology. That is, an
archaeologist receives a Bachelor's or a Master's or a PhD
in Anthropology with a specialization in Archaeology. Anthropology
is the study of man, and American anthropology is divided
into four subfields: archaeology, which is the study of past
peoples/cultures, cultural anthropology, which is the study
of present peoples/cultures, linguistics, which is the study
of human languages, and physical anthropology, which is the
study of human genetics and evolution. I've earned a Master
of Science degree in anthropology. Most of the coursework
I took was related to archaeology, and my thesis was an archaeological
research question, so my emphasis or specialization in anthropology
is archaeology.
In
what archaeology-related fields (geology, anthropology, etc.)
have you worked?
I
was originally trained as a zoologist; I have a Bachelor of
Science degree and a Master of Science degree, both in Zoology.
I worked as a zoologist for several years doing endangered
species research before deciding to study anthropology. Coming
into the field of anthropology (including archaeology) as
a zoologist has made me different from most anthropologists.
Much of the tenants of physical anthropology (theory of evolution,
etc.) are also tenants in zoology, so I have a deepened appreciation
of physical anthropology research questions. Also, a subfield
within archaeology is zooarchaeology, which is the study and
interpretation of animal remains recovered from archaeological
sites, or areas occupied by past human groups. Having the
perspectives of both a zoologist and an anthropologist has
prepared me nicely for doing zooarchaeological research.
What
is the environment in which you work? What character traits
should someone interested in pursuing this type of career
possess? What are some of the responsibilites that come with
a profession in archaeology?
The
archaeologist must excel in three areas: in the field (data
collection), in the lab (identification), and in front of
the computer (analysis and writing). Field testing and excavation
techniques and laboratory techniques must be learned in a
field archaeology and archaeological lab technique classes
in college. Knowledge of techniques used in excavating and
analyzing archaeological data is critical for working in the
field of archaeology. Equally important is the ability to
use computers and a variety of computer software packages,
including word processors, database, and statistical programs
for analysis and reporting of the data and interpretations.
Library research skills and the ability to read a lot and
comprehend the material are essential, too.
How
much of your personal time do you spend doing job-related
projects?
I
have personal research projects that I work on during my free
time, mainly preparing manuscripts that I'll submit to various
scientific journals for publication. I spend at least a couple
of hours each night working on these projects.
Why
did you decide to pursue a career in archaeology?
Mostly
for the fun. It's very exciting and rewarding to discover
an important archaeological site, excavate it, and interpret
when it was occupied, what range of avtivities occurred there,
and how it relates to other archaeological sites in the area.
What
is your salary like (approximately), and how does it compare
to the salaries of most archaeologists? Do most archaeologists
receive benefits?
Most
archaeologists aren't paid extremely well. Most jobs provide
benefits, however. It's not a field to get into if you really
like money. But if you don't need a lot of money to be happy,
and you just want to work at something that is fun, archaeology
is a good field to pursue.
What
aspects of your job do you dislike?
Sorting
or washing artifacts can get pretty dull after a while. Just
like anything else, it can be really fun at first; finding
or cleaning an artifact or bone that's been in the ground
for hundreds of years is exciting. But after about two weeks
of constant sorting or scrubbing, it starts to really wear
on you!
What
aspects of the job do you most enjoy?
Archaeological
work is like solving a big, complicated puzzle. I really enjoy
using the scientific method in solving these puzzles. The
process makes full use of my intellect as well as my creative
abilities. It's definitely a challenge that I find rewarding.
Do
you get to travel around the world as part of your job?
A
portion of the world....specifically, all over southern California.
The archaeological firm I work for is located in Los Angeles,
California, and we do contract archaeology all over the region.
Have
you ever been in a potentially dangerous situation (on the
lines of Indiana Jones.. it's far-fetched, I know, but I was
curious)?
For
archaeologists, the most commonly encountered dangers are
sunburn, poison oak or ivy, mosquitos, ticks, and chiggers.
I injured my back on one job using a pick-ax, if you call
that dangerous. I've climbed some pretty steep and rocky
areas while surveying, which were admittedly a bit treacherous.
What
course would you suggest to young people interested in archaeology?
Are there any specific courses in college that I should really
concentrate on? How much education do you need to go into
this field? What do you see as the outlook for careers in
archaeology? When you are done with college, how do you go
about entering this field?
You
should take Anthropology 101 the first semester in college.
If you like it, take more anthropology and archaeology classes,
and get a Bachelor's degree in anthropology. With a Bachelor's
degree, you could get a job with Cultural Resource Management
consulting firms, or go on to graduate school to pursue a
Master's or a Ph.D. From there, teaching and/or research are
the best options. Archaeologists with any degree have a pretty
good shot at landing jobs with CRM firms. Teaching or senior
research positions are usually limited to those archaeologists
with a Ph.D.
Get
a jumpstart on your archaeological training with these books:
What
specific area in archaeology do you study? How would you change
your job or the field of archaeology? What do you feel you
are contributing to society?
I'm
interested in subsistence archaeology, which is the archaeology
of how people use food. I am particularly interested in how
people acquire, butcher, process, share, consume, and discard
animal food resources, and how these behavioral activities
can be recognized in faunal remains recovered from the archaeological
record. What I hope to contribute to the field of archaeology
is a greater understanding of the meanings of the animal bones
dug up by archaeologists by studying how modern peoples modify
and discard animal remains through ethnoarchaeological research.
By recognizing patterns in modern examples of hunting, butchering,
processing and sharing of animal resources among peoples,
we can better interpret those behaviors in past peoples by
studying the condition and distribution of the animal remains
left behind. Archaeological contributions to society, like
those of any other science, serve to give people a better
understanding of the world around us.
For
more information on a career in archaeology, check out these
books:
The
following books are frequently used by professional archaeologists:
Want
to learn more about a career in archaeology? Try these links:
FAQ
About a Career in Archaeology in the U.S
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