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Archaeologists Study History and Past Civilizations - For History Buffs, It's the Perfect Choice of Vocations

Archaeologists study the past; specifically past societies inhabited by our ancestors. Archaeologists sift through ruins, rubble, and generations of accumulated dirt in order to unearth artifacts, bones, ancient tools, or remnants of buildings. Anything they find is sent to a lab to be analyzed, cleaned, and dated. Civilizations dating back to the Bronze Age have been unearthed in northeast Pakistan, and pre-historic tools were unearthed in Africa that date back at least 3 million years.

Some of the things that archaeologists have found are almost mind-boggling. To the layman, it almost seems hard to fathom the fact that ancient societies existed millions of years ago. Yet, archaeologists have made the discovery of these civilizations their life's work. Archaeologists actually get to hold artifacts in their own hands - artifacts that were held in someone's hands that existed thousands or even millions of years ago.

Besides digging, some of the archaeologist's other duties include analyzing the data collected in order to date past civilizations that existed in a certain area, as well as research to see if other attempts were made to identify and date certain artifacts. Archaeologists study many aspects of a civilization, including written documents if any, cave drawings, bone fragments (both human and animal), and anything else that might tell them something about the civilization and it's occupants.

Archaeologists travel most of the time and are usually gone for extended periods, working on archaeological digs, so if you love to travel, you may enjoy this profession immensely. The living conditions may be less than ideal, however, depending on the location of the dig. Many civilized countries have archaeological sites that are investigated and worked on regularly by a team of archaeologists. If you are lucky enough to work on a site in a developed country, you may very well have access to a hotel or apartment while working on assignment. Certain sites, however, have no such amenities. Sites found in certain areas of Africa, or other underdeveloped areas may have only basic amenities and you may find yourself living in a travel trailer or other temporary shelter. If you can handle a variety of working and living conditions and can take working outside in varying weather conditions, you might be an ideal candidate for this profession.

Archaeologists usually make anywhere from $32,000 a year to around $50,000 a year. Not great money, but if you enjoy the work (and while on assignment, you usually receive free room and board, so you're not out a lot of expenses), it's not a bad living. At least a bachelor's degree is required for most positions, although a considerable amount of field experience is required if you want to participate in research. Many archaeologists start out as interns, working dig sites under the supervision of a qualified archaeologist, who more than likely began as an intern or field worker. If you work hard, are careful and thorough in your digging, enjoy the challenges and work required, and don't complain about the heat or cold or adverse living conditions, you might find that you advance rather quickly. It's a great profession for anyone who loves history and wants to learn in a "hands-on" type setting.

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