How to Become an Archaeologist

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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(90 Ratings)

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.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Graduate School Catalogs And Applications

Step 1

Take 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.
Step 2

Apply 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.
Step 3

Ask 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.
Step 4

Work in museums or on local excavations, if possible, and by assisting professors during the school year.
Step 5

Obtain 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.
Step 6

Make 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.

Comments

TheBridge1224 said

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on 12/6/2008 Well. i am 21yrs old and have always wanted to be an archaeologist. I the problem is I made a few mistake as far as school and on top of that I have only gotten a GED...
So my question would be is it still possible, if I work uber hard, to still do this?

StreetBloggers said

on 11/4/2008 My childhood dream job, Missed that boat I guess but thank you

tifa101 said

on 11/3/2008 I've always wanted to be an archeologist, but I hate sitting in class for years on end. I wonder if there is a way to be needed by archeologists because you know something about history that they don't, and they ask you to come to their excavation. You would be like an unliscensed archeologist. I think that would be more fun, as well as risky, than being a liscensed one. People have been led to believe archeologists dodge bullets and giant boulders in temples, but I haven't seen one yet saying they've done these things. Is it really just a bunch of digging for months and never really having much fun? I agree an ancient find is quite exciting, and I've always wanted to find one myself. But is that really enough? I wonder if there's just one out there that has had the Indiana Jones adventures..

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