Archaeology

Cornelius · Post by **Cornelius** » 2004-02-28 07:39pm

Do you think archaeology is a good field to branch off of from history?

Eframepilot · Post by **Eframepilot** » 2004-02-28 07:46pm

Do you plan to branch off into archaeology from history, or do you question whether the field of archaeology was right in branching off from history, or are you asking if archaeology is a good field compared to the rest of history from which it branched off of?

I have never taken an archaeology class, but from the little I have learned from books and television, it is an interesting field that involves actually digging up new historical evidence instead of poring over the same old texts and resources and formulating new interpretations. So, yes to all the above questions. (Not that I have anything against formal history, which is one of my favorite subjects, if not as compelling as hard science.)

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-02-28 07:48pm

I took an archaeology class a year ago and I was so fucking bored I had to drop it - and I love history. I hope you like pottery.

Cornelius · Post by **Cornelius** » 2004-02-28 07:58pm

I was just wondering if it is a good field to move into with a history degree. Is it profitable, can you actually reasonable survive on it? I know a lot of professors that barely make 2 grand per semester.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2004-02-28 08:00pm

Joe wrote:I took an archaeology class a year ago and I was so fucking bored I had to drop it - and I love history. I hope you like pottery.

Then again, you also get to travel. My History teacher started out as an archeologist, and he has been tons of places and locations digging up things, from Guatamala, to Greenland, to all over the US and Europe.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2004-02-28 08:27pm

you get to play with bones!

Ooo... bones...

plus, hitting people with handaxes is always fun.

Johonebesus · Post by **Johonebesus** » 2004-02-28 08:38pm

If you want money, don't go into academia, period. If you get famous you can get a chair at a good university and maybe get money from side gigs, doing documentaries and such, but even at the top levels scholars don't make big bucks. Archaeology is hard, tedious work. Mostly you would be sifting through dust looking for tiny little fragments of clay and bone. It is not exciting at all. I doubt it pays any better than other academic fields. Folks who go into academia don't do it for the money; they do it because they love the work. If your love for research and study isn't enough for you, you won't be happy as a scholar.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2004-02-28 08:51pm

What branch of archeology? You could wind up doing anything from chemical analyses in a comfy lab, to fending off wild animals in a scorching hellhole a thousand miles from help....

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2004-02-28 08:54pm

Oh, and you also get to wear those cool hats.
*is getting a hat for her fieldwork this summer*

Trying to find an excuse to bring a whip into the country, though....

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-02-28 08:57pm

InnerBrat wrote:Oh, and you also get to wear those cool hats.
*is getting a hat for her fieldwork this summer*

Trying to find an excuse to bring a whip into the country, though....

Ladies and gentlemen i present you "Indiana Jane"

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-02-28 09:39pm

Archaeology is generally classified as a sub-field of Anthropology, instead of History, though it's obviously EXTREMELY applicable to historical studies.

That being said, it's a fine branch to go into. You won't be making big bucks, and it's not like Indiana Jones, but if you're interested in it then it's a fine field with lots of exciting discoveries to be made--just be ready for monotony and hard work ahead of you. It can often be extremely difficult and seem unrewarding, but it can also be great fun and extremely interesting. Good luck.

El Moose Monstero · Post by **El Moose Monstero** » 2004-02-28 09:56pm

InnerBrat wrote:Oh, and you also get to wear those cool hats.
*is getting a hat for her fieldwork this summer*

Trying to find an excuse to bring a whip into the country, though....

Tell them its a new kind of unravelled portable hammock...

And beware poisoners of undercooked cuts of sirloin or filet, steaks, why did it have to be steaks?

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2004-02-29 12:02am

Master of Ossus wrote:That being said, it's a fine branch to go into. You won't be making big bucks, and it's not like Indiana Jones, but if you're interested in it then it's a fine field with lots of exciting discoveries to be made--just be ready for monotony and hard work ahead of you. It can often be extremely difficult and seem unrewarding, but it can also be great fun and extremely interesting. Good luck.

Wait... you mean archeologists don't fight Nazis all the time?

Oddysseus · Post by **Oddysseus** » 2004-02-29 12:16am

Johonebesus wrote:If you want money, don't go into academia, period. If you get famous you can get a chair at a good university and maybe get money from side gigs, doing documentaries and such, but even at the top levels scholars don't make big bucks. Archaeology is hard, tedious work. Mostly you would be sifting through dust looking for tiny little fragments of clay and bone. It is not exciting at all. I doubt it pays any better than other academic fields. Folks who go into academia don't do it for the money; they do it because they love the work. If your love for research and study isn't enough for you, you won't be happy as a scholar.

This is the right attitiude. Thus is not a job where you will end up wealthy (though tenured professors and those who are good with their money can have a very nice retirement - or maybe its the fac tI work with people with Ph.D's in business areas). You can do well, but it goes with hours and hours and days and weeks of research. You go to meetings and give papers. You have board meetings. And then you do more research. And that is if you aren't teaching, but then how are you going to support yourself while you wait for a grant to clear? Archaeologist spent the vast majority of their time in classrooms, libraries, and offices. The teach, they research, they beg for money, they scrounge for sites, then they have to find time to write their papers. Have to do that, can't just did up a lost civilization then toss it back and forget it.

It's all hard work, any real job is. But if you love history, research, and unlocking history, it may be worth it. To be sure, if you are a U go to the department and talk to some professors. They can give you the best view of the field and any pitfalls. Good luck.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2004-02-29 07:12am

The_Lumberjack wrote: steaks, why did it have to be steaks?

You bastard. Don't make people with chest infections laugh so hard they cough up their lungs.

Montcalm: how tempted am I to change my ct now?