Should I be an archaeologist?

In the media, archaeology looks very exciting... and it can be!

Probably not.

Archaeologists study past civilizations. They do this by examining the physical remains of those civilizations. That can involve field work.

Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash

Field work includes:

Surveying the surface to look for signs of past human activity

Digging test areas to find potential sites

Excavating sites very carefully to uncover artifacts

Geophysical surveying to explore sites in a non-invasive way

Probably not.

MOST archaeological work is done in a lab.

Lab work includes:

Researching written records like maps, photographs, letters, land records and prior site reports to learn more about an area

Analyzing artifacts to learn more about past civilizations

Preserving collections of artifacts and data for ongoing research and public education

Interviewing to gather information about family histories and oral traditions

$55,000 average salary per year for archaeologists in the United States.

$81,000 average salary per year for archaeologists in Canada.

• are investigative and artistic.

• like to analyze and think deeply.

• are patient and methodical.

• are a team player with a sense of humor.

• like a fast paced work environment.

• want to work business hours (9-5).

• would like to earn a high salary.

Aliyah loves mystery books. She enjoys listening to her older neighbors' tell stories. She is most comfortable being indoors and does not enjoy travel.

Thiago enjoys traveling and learning about other cultures. He hopes to earn a very high salary to allow him to travel all over the world.

Mingmei spends most of her free time touring local historical sites. She asks a lot of questions and takes photos, then writes a blog about the things she learns.

Dig in to archaeology ⛏️