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David
Student
Brewton, Alabama
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What is it like to be an Archaeologist? Also, is most of the time spent doing field work, or in the lab? #fall25
I intend to acquire my masters in Archaeology, hopefully to achieve my dream of travelling around the world doing work that I love.
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Michelle M.
Actress
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, David !
This is a super awesome question for a most exciting career ! You are on the right track with planning to do a Masters Program in Archeology and it seems that you are taking the right steps towards your career goal.
The Masters Program you will take will be for core and optional modules, along with a significant independent research component such as a dissertation or a field-based work placement. It depends on the University you attend, so you can check with the University to know what to expect during the program. There's no way to tell how much field work and how much lab work you'd be doing in the future because different projects may take different amounts of time.
If you already have your Bachelors in Archeology that path would have given you insight to what it is like as an archeologist. If you haven't started college yet, it may help to know that Archeologists study human history and prehistory by analyzing material remains such as artifacts, structures, ecofacts, and cultural landscapes. Their work involves a wide range of activities, including fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and research. You would be doing surveying of land for suitability to start digging. Using shovels, trowels, and screens you would recover artifacts.
Start watching videos about archeology to get a visual sense of the career. I have left a link to some videos for you below. There are some cool TV Shows that focus on archeology, too. Some are from Britain. See if you can find these shows through your cable service or online. They are Time Team, Digging for Britain, The Great British Dig, Secrets of Saqqara Tomb (a Netflix Documentary), Time Team America, Lost Kingdom of the Black Pharaohs, and History Hit Series on Archaeological Discoveries. These shows may give you important insight.
Once you become an Archeologist, how much time you spend in the field or lab is not going to be a concern for you. You'll want to give attention for however long it takes to make the discoveries you want and need to make. Keep in mind that no one can micro-plan or predict how your academic path or your career will be. Take it a step at a time because that's how you will realize what it means to be an archeologist. Enjoy every minute on the way !
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
VIDEOS - WHAT IT IS LIKE BEING AN ARCHEOLOGIT https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=what+it+is+like+to+be+an+Archeologist
This is a super awesome question for a most exciting career ! You are on the right track with planning to do a Masters Program in Archeology and it seems that you are taking the right steps towards your career goal.
The Masters Program you will take will be for core and optional modules, along with a significant independent research component such as a dissertation or a field-based work placement. It depends on the University you attend, so you can check with the University to know what to expect during the program. There's no way to tell how much field work and how much lab work you'd be doing in the future because different projects may take different amounts of time.
If you already have your Bachelors in Archeology that path would have given you insight to what it is like as an archeologist. If you haven't started college yet, it may help to know that Archeologists study human history and prehistory by analyzing material remains such as artifacts, structures, ecofacts, and cultural landscapes. Their work involves a wide range of activities, including fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and research. You would be doing surveying of land for suitability to start digging. Using shovels, trowels, and screens you would recover artifacts.
Start watching videos about archeology to get a visual sense of the career. I have left a link to some videos for you below. There are some cool TV Shows that focus on archeology, too. Some are from Britain. See if you can find these shows through your cable service or online. They are Time Team, Digging for Britain, The Great British Dig, Secrets of Saqqara Tomb (a Netflix Documentary), Time Team America, Lost Kingdom of the Black Pharaohs, and History Hit Series on Archaeological Discoveries. These shows may give you important insight.
Once you become an Archeologist, how much time you spend in the field or lab is not going to be a concern for you. You'll want to give attention for however long it takes to make the discoveries you want and need to make. Keep in mind that no one can micro-plan or predict how your academic path or your career will be. Take it a step at a time because that's how you will realize what it means to be an archeologist. Enjoy every minute on the way !
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
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