Careers in Archeology

Study of ancient and modern human culture is known as archeology and a person who conducts research and excavation is known as an archeologist. An archeologist studies the lives of the people of the ancient world from the various scriptures, sculptures and the items that he excavates at a historical site. Apart from excavations, an archeologist also makes research investigations and tries to study the habits, farming and hunting practices of a civilization that had existed thousands of years back.

Careers in Archeology - An Overview

Archeology is a vast field and there are numerous career openings for fresh graduates with a major in anthropology or archeology, who want to pursue their career in archeology. An archeologist focuses his study on the archeological data such as artifacts, features, sites etc and directs his focus on a particular civilization or a particular community.

There are archeologists who focus only on interpreting the data collected from a particular excavation site. They base their interpretation on the basis of materials found on the site such as fragments of bone or clothing, potteries, building material and so on.

Physical Archeology - This is one of the most popular and upcoming branches in archeology. A physical archeologist studies about the human evolution and the habitual changes that are seen in human beings over the period of time. He also studies about the various diets and diseases that were seen in human beings of ancient world and also the modern world.

Cultural Archeology - If you are interested in examining the culture and traditions of a particular community, you could look out for this career option in archeology.

Historical Archeology - A career option for those who are interested in studying about the lives and the artifacts in Prehistoric period and the Middle Ages. The other careers options connected with historical archeology are Indigenous Archeology and Classical Archeology.

As mentioned before, archeology is a vast field and there is a branch of study known as archeological sciences. Here you could specialize in paleodiet, dating methods, bioarcheology, archeological chemistry and faunal analysis.

Forensic Archeology and Maritime Archeology - These two career options have been added recently to archeology. A forensic archeologist conducts research on location or site, excavates materials associated with not only pre-historic but also historic crime scenes. While, a maritime archeologist conducts studies and researches on watercraft from earlier to current shipwrecks.

Another career option in archeology is conducting lectures in various colleges and universities. A professor of archeology teaches and also conducts field research. He also helps his students to analyze the artifacts.

There are also positions as curators in a museum. There are museums connected with an university or the government. The museum curators conserve museum collections and also conduct research on those collections.

There are a many career options for people who are interested and curious to know about the historical evidences of the past and the present. Today, various private companies who undertake research hire archeologists. Archeological science is a branch of study that offers a highly desirable career.