Jobs in Maritime Archeology

Maritime archaeologists work underwater at shipwreck and sunken land sites.

Shipwrecks, sunken land sites and other underwater remains associated with human activity are just one area of interest for maritime archaeologists. This area of archaeology requires course work and training in a variety of disciplines such as shipbuilding, underwater excavation and artifact conservationism. These skills translate into careers as historical maritime archaeologists, nautical conservationists and archaeological contractors.

Education

Most museums, government agencies and private business prefer to hire maritime archaeologists with a minimum of a master's degree in maritime archaeology. Teaching and professional advancement in this field requires doctoral work. Students seeking to conduct underwater excavations and research must obtain international diving certifications for deep sea diving. To maximize career opportunities after graduation, try to obtain an archaeological citation or publish work with respected publications.

Historical Maritime Archaeologist

Historical maritime archaeologists often work for museums, educational institutions and the government. Their responsibilities focus on maritime research, underwater excavation, conservation and artifact display. Government work may also include taking land surveys to assess the significance of sites, assessing artifacts and managing cultural resources.

Nautical Conservationist

Maritime archaeologists who work as nautical conservationists stabilize and preserve underwater artifacts for museum curation or long-term storage. Archaeologists in this career work on-site to pack and protect artifacts for transportation and storage. In labs, nautical conservationists use conservation procedures such as dehydration techniques, artifact cleaning such as chloride removal and preservation procedures such as pH protection.

Archaeological Contractors

Salvage and archaeological excavation laws in many countries require archaeological research permits when businesses conduct shipwreck and other excavation work inside national waters. Most countries require a supervising maritime archaeologist to oversee the archaeological aspects of the project including cataloging and the conservation of artifacts. As a result, archaeological contracting work has become a viable career choice for many maritime archaeologists. This career path does require previous maritime archaeological work and field experience. Most companies prefer maritime archaeological contractors with a doctorate degree. Contractors with citations, examples of archaeological site reports and professional publication bylines are preferred.

References

• University of Southern Denmark: Career opportunities
• Miami Science Museum: Careers in Marine Science
• University of Western Florida: Masters in Anthropology or Historical Archaeology
• University of Western Florida: B.A. and Minor Maritime Studies
• Australian Marine Sciences Association: Archaeology
• East Carolina University: Maritime Studies

Resources

• Professional Shipwreck Explorers Association: Archaeological Research Permit Application Guidelines