Archaeologists Career Description
Archaeologists study the history and culture of earlier societies with the aid of remains from the past such as tools, works of art, dwellings and human remains.
What am I going to do in this occupation?
An integral part of archaeologists' knowledge is obtained from the ground through scientific excavations, which can only be done with a permit from the National Monuments Council. Excavations are done slowly and carefully so that nothing is missed and details can be recorded. All the objects that have survived are then sorted, packed and taken to the laboratory for analysis. Archaeologists also learn about the beliefs and lifestyles of people in the past by locating and recording rock art or about house styles and construction methods by mapping buildings and structures, or even about maritime history by investigating historical shipwreck underwater.
Because our time extends back for so many thousands of years, archaeologists tend to specialise in different periods. Some study the origins of human beings well over a million years ago. Others study periods right up to the very recent past. The human beings that lived in all these periods had beliefs and experienced tensions in some ways like our own, yet they lived their daily lives in very different ways.
Some archaeologists specialise not in a period but in the study of only one kind of evidence. These kinds of evidence include human and animal bone, stone artefacts, rock paintings and engravings, beads, pottery, pollen, charcoal and other evidence of past climates, and, from the more recent past, buildings and historical documents. Some of these studies require scientific techniques, such as isotope studies.
Documentation is an important part of archaeologists' work. This involves careful recording by mapping, photographing and surveying.
Archaeologists often do fieldwork in remote places where they have to camp out, but also work in towns and cities where ancient sites are discovered below the ground during building operations, and do surveys in rural and urban areas. Specialists in chemical or physical methods work in laboratories in museums or universities. These jobs can be done by people with disabilities that may prevent them from doing fieldwork.
Requirements
What kind of personality do I need? Archaeologists are responsible for investigating unique evidence that can never be replaced so they must be reliable and able to work systematically. Both fieldwork and laboratory analysis is time-consuming and archaeologists must have self-discipline and patience as well as the ability to conceptualise questions about the past and find ways to answer them. Archaeologists should be sensitive to social issues and be original, questioning thinkers. Archaeologists should take nothing for granted. A commitment to conservation is essential.
Where can I work?
Archaeologists are usually employed by museums and universities. Prospects for employment are limited.
Can I work for myself in this occupation?
Self-employment opportunities for archaeologists exist. Archaeologists who want to work for themselves must be able to think creatively and comprehensively and generate their own opportunities and market their services. They can, for example, work as specialist tour guides on a freelance basis and thus combine archaeology with tourism or they can do what is known as Contract Archaeology where they would be employed on a contract basis by developers to do surveys of archaeological sites for environmental impact assessments before construction takes place.
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