Alex Grenga

English III Honors

Davis

February 22nd

A Career in Archaeology

Archaeology has enthralled many scientists as a window into the past, a field in which we

can understand more about history than just what ancient cultures wrote down. Many people

have come to notoriety through this line of work for their breakthroughs to the past, and still

more artifacts and ruins remain as of yet undiscovered or unexplored. To become an

archaeologist requires many different things, both learned skills and natural abilities alike. This

paper will present the history of archaeology, including pioneers in the field as well as a few

major finds, along with the educational requirements of becoming an archaeologist, and making

a career as an archaeologist, including types of jobs available, and the average pay rates.

A new method of classification of artifacts that revolutionized archaeological

classification became just one of a number of breakthroughs to assist archaeologists. Developed

by Sir W. M. Flinders Petrie, a British archaeologist and Britain’s first Egyptologist, this system

allowed scientists to match different types of pottery to their appropriate time periods and

cultures, according to the strata they emerged from. This method of classification allows

archaeologists to string together a chronological series of culture and events, so that the artifacts

are not just random finds, they tell a story of those who lived before modern humans (7 Great

Innovators in Archaeology). Although today, scientists use carbon dating to help categorize
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materials, the method of categorizing according to strata still in use today when carbon dating

cannot apply to the artifact.

Another step forward for archaeology became known as the box-grid system, a system

still in use today. Born from the mind of Scottish archaeologist and Director-General of

Archaeology Sir Mortimer Wheeler (1890-1976), this system consisted of laying a grid pattern

over the excavation site and leaving undisturbed squares of earth in between excavated squares,

so that the strata that stays intact serves as a chronological reference for the artifacts found in the

adjoining excavated squares. Wheeler’s Box-grid system revolutionized archaeological digging

by making dig sites far more organized, allowing for better recording of finds (7 Great

Innovators in Archaeology).

A notable student of Sir Mortimer Wheeler, Dame Kathleen Kenyon (1906-1978), helped

further the field of archaeology in many ways. One of the first female archaeologists, Kenyon

studied in the Holy Land, in Jericho in the 1950s, and Jerusalem in the 1960s. Kenyon had

become a pioneer for women, but she also pioneered a more exact, scientific method of

excavating called stratigraphic excavation, which she employed in her endeavour to disprove

parts of the Bible. She discovered that Jericho became settled during the Neolithic period and

also dated many other Holy Land sites (7 Great Innovators in Archaeology). These finds helped

to further biblical archaeology by leaps and bounds .

Others have contributed to the field of archaeology in different ways. John Lloyd

Stephens (1805-1852) and artist Frederick Catherwood explored Mesoamerica, mainly, the

Mayan ruins. Although they themselves had no background in archaeology, they published a

book titled ​Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan, which contained
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detailed accounts and illustrations of ​the ruins, resulting in an upsurge of interest in

Mesoamerican archaeology. In 1839, John Lloyd Stephens became ambassador to Central

America (National Geographic). He presented much in his days to the archaeological world

through his explorations.

Tom Dillehay, a professor at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, worked in

Chile in the 1970s and 1980s. His carbon dating revealed that the site at Monte Verde dated back

to as early as 12,500 years ago, challenging the established idea that people had not arrived in

America prior to 11,200 years ago (National Geographic).

As a boy, David Stuart, currently at the University of Texas in Austin, developed an

amazing ability to decipher Mayan glyphs starting at the age of three, when he first started

traveling to Mesoamerica with his father, a Mayanist archaeologist for National Geographic.

Stuart had deciphered a key part of the Mayan code by the time he turned eighteen, and he has

become one of the top Maya epigraphers today (National Geographic).

Archaeological finds can enrich humanity’s understanding of the past, or even change

what humanity once understood as true. In 79 A.D., Mount Vesuvius erupted, destroying the

cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in southern Italy. The cities became buried under layers and

layers of rock and ash and remained perfectly preserved until the mid eighteenth century, when

their remains first turned up. The roughly two thousand people that Pompeii still held remained

frozen in stone for nearly two thousand years, trapped in various states of activity by the abrupt

downpour of volcanic ash (Brown). Some appeared as though still running, while others huddled

together, or attempted to hide. Some still carried their possessions, such as jewels and household

items. Houses, shops, and other buildings also remained preserved in this way. Lavish homes,
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hovels, shops with their awnings still in place, even a winery, complete with a painted fresco

depicting the wine god, Bacchus, blessing the grape fields on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius,

remained all perfectly preserved (Brown). We knew little of Pompeii prior to this discovery.

Once appearing as just a port town of no great significance, we now understand that Pompeii

appeared a vibrant, rich and thriving city. We also get a snapshot of the everyday lives of the

people who lived in Pompeii, thanks to the artifacts found in their homes, or on their persons

(Brown). Archaeologists know which gods they worshiped, how they dressed, even what foods

they ate. The more archaeologists discovered about Pompeii, the more it changed humanity's

view of this once forgotten city, and the more archaeologists added to our knowledge of history.

Another important archaeological find happened on July 19, 1799, when the Rosetta

Stone came to light in Egypt. It surfaced during the Napoleonic era, when french troops found

the stone which later ended up in the British Museum, after the French surrendered to the British

in 1801 (Urbanus). The value of the stone cannot become defined by its beauty, or even in what

the text says; the value lies in what it says in three different languages: Demotic, ancient Greek,

and Egyptian hieroglyphics (Urbanus). Centuries had gone by since the last time someone knew

how to read hieroglyphics; however, scholars knew how to read Demotic, and ancient Greek.

Since the text in all three languages appeared identical in meaning, they could now decipher the

hieroglyphs and crack a key part of the code, which allowed them to decipher other Egyptian

texts. It proved itself as another huge leap towards the world’s understanding of ancient cultures.

Some finds made by archaeologists do have a little more luster to them than per the norm.

In 1922, Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, cracked open the door to a sealed chamber in

the Valley of Kings, 416 miles south of Cairo (Carter, Howard). The valley contained around 62
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other tombs of pharaohs, some undisturbed for centuries and full of archaeological treasures and

a good sum of gold, others torn apart by tomb robbers and stripped of anything valuable, even

the mummies. But upon opening the inner tomb, the outer chambers of which seemed ransacked,

Carter and his men discovered a vast wealth of golden objects, furniture, sculptures, weapons,

even chariots (Covington). Also, in a golden sarcophagus, the boy-king himself. Unfortunately

for later forensic scientists, Carter’s men badly damaged the body of the king when unwrapping

it from its linens. This made it significantly harder to ascertain the king’s exact cause of death

(Covington). Some speculation suggests that he might have fallen to an infected wound, a very

badly splintered left thigh bone, but others dismiss this theory, as no hemorrhaging appeared

around the wound, and therefore had probably broken after death, possibly when Carter’s men

removed his wrappings (Covington). The cause of The Boy King’s death still remains a mystery

to this day. Upon examining the tomb and items within however, archaeologists gleamed a great

deal of new information about life in Egypt for the Royal family. Tutankhamun’s birthplace,

while still unknown exactly, appears to most as the city of Amarna, a city his father had

constructed about six years before Tutankhamun’s birth (Covington). Tutankhamun’s father,

Akhenaten, had declared that, of the entire Egyptian pantheon, only the sun spirit, Aten, would

remain a god of Egypt. This infuriated the public, and the priests, forced out of their temples and

made to watch their gods’ statues smashed before their eyes. This became the legacy

Tutankhamun’s father left him (Covington). Tutankhamun learned from a young age to adapt,

and to fix his father’s mistakes. He assumed the throne of Egypt, and, to legitimize his rule,

married Ankhesenpaaten, his half-sister on his father’s side. Both appeared about eight or nine at

the time of the marriage (Covington). It seems to some that Tutankhamun actually installed on
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the throne under the sway of Ay, his father’s adviser, who sought to use him as a puppet

pharaoh. Ay moved the capital to the city of Memphis, where Tutankhamun spent most of the

rest of his days attempting to reconcile with the people of Egypt, A task he appeared ill-suited

for. Tutankhamun had a warrior’s upbringing, a fact mirrored by the six chariots, around fifty

bows, two swords, eight shields and other odd weapons buried with him, though he probably

never actually saw combat (Covington). Tutankhamun suddenly died somewhere between ages

eighteen and twenty. Again, the cause remains unknown to this day. Although short lived, King

Tutankhamun’s tomb provided ample evidence for archaeologists to piece together this and

much more about Egyptian life, from carvings in hieroglyphics on the wall, to paintings on the

sides of chests, to scrolls and records found with him. This seems perhaps the greatest example

of archaeologists uncovering the life of those who preceded us. But while becoming an

archaeologist can become rewarding, the path contains obstacles that not all seem fit to cross.

Becoming an archaeologist requires a good amount of time investment into education, as

archaeology requires a slew of skills and degrees. Some of these skills are developed from a

young age or are natural gifts, and are nearly impossible to learn. Stamina has remained the most

important of the skills required for field work for centuries (Anthropologists and

Archaeologists). Having a large store of energy, and therefore remaining able to stay in the field

for longer becomes crucial, especially when in a race against the elements that threaten to

damage or destroy the artifacts that may lie only a few inches beneath the dig site.

Archaeologists often have to spend weeks, even months at remote sites across the globe, from

the amazon to the arctic, which would prove hard enough without the long hours of searching for

and painstakingly removing artifacts from the ground. And these objects can often emerge from
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the earth in a very fragile state, such as parchments, books, clothing, or a fruit cake, as in the case

of the one found in a hut in antarctica's Cape Adare, which had remained there, uneaten, since

it’s apparent abandonment by Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition, one hundred six

years ago (Super Fruitcake). Critical thinking presents itself as another important skill for

archaeologists (Anthropologists and Archaeologists). One job of archaeologists, especially older,

more experienced ones, involves taking an artifact, the terrain in which archaeologists found it,

the condition it emerged in and many other factors to deduce all possibilities concerning the

people that onced used it. This can prove incredibly useful and important, as determining where

other artifacts may lie in comparison to those found, as an example: shards of pottery surrounded

by walls could hint at the possibility that more of a settlement or building exists, with still more

artifacts within. Knowing what the layout of an ancient dwelling in that area might look like

could give researchers a good clue as to where to dig next. Communication skills also show as an

important skill set for archaeology, as archaeologists are expected to have the skills necessary to

put their findings in well-written papers, essays or reports in order to share their them with the

rest of the archaeological world (Anthropologists and Archaeologists). The ability to write

concisely allows an archaeologist to put his findings and speculations out to the rest of the

archaeological community in a fashion that allows other researchers to use and build off that

archaeologist’s finds, possibly adding some of their own and/or other archaeologists findings to

the puzzle to unlock the mysteries of humanity’s past. These are the basic skills required by an

archaeologist before even beginning their education, in which more preparation and exposure to

the subject will arise.

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In preparing for a college degree in archaeology, it is crucial to study history and to know

it well, especially when it comes to historic archaeology. Knowing the existing pieces of the

historic puzzle, will aid you in putting the remaining pieces together. Another class that would

certainly help an archaeologist the Art History, since classical archaeology, which focuses on

ancient Greece and Rome, depends highly on the identification of art in order to classify artifacts

into their appropriate periods (Society for American Archaeology). Taking a class in a foreign

language can become of great service to an archaeologist, since excavations are done all over the

world, and may require archaeologists to remain abroad for long periods of time and to

collaborate with other scientist or authorities in foreign countries. Spanish often becomes

especially useful, since Mesoamerica and the Iberian Peninsula seems a popular area of

archaeological study.

Completing a major in archaeology requires a minimum of ten courses, which

equivocates to about thirty to thirty-four hours of work (Catalog.unc.edu). To graduate, at least

twenty-one of those hours must have a grade of a C or above. Students must also take one of

each of the following: A course in the logic of archaeological inference, a course in comparative

perspectives, a course in topics in archaeology, and one elective chosen from a large list of

possible electives. Students also need two courses in archaeological practice, with one a

laboratory course and the other a field school, and two courses in long-term history

(Catalog.unc.edu). Many archaeologists begin their career during their college years, often under

the supervision of a graduated archeologist. Many people in the archeology field are college

level students with at least a bachelor’s degree in the subject. These people often accompany an

archaeologist to dig sites and work as assistants or field workers, excavating designated areas in
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search of artifacts while the archaeologist examines and records finds made by these students.

Excavating a dig site however requires a good deal of training beforehand in artifact handling

and in how to safely remove dirt from around an artifact (​Archaeology: Smithsonian Institution

Teacher's Resource Packet​). To become a full archaeologist requires a Master’s degree or

higher, as well as experience doing fieldwork under fully graduated archaeologists, prior to

graduation. In order to conduct digs abroad, archaeologists usually require a PhD in their field,

along with between eighteen and thirty months of internship on other expeditions and basic

knowledge of a foreign language. In all, it takes about two years to complete a master’s degree in

the subject, and additional years to achieve a PhD (Anthropologists and Archaeologists). But

when entering the archeological world, there are multiple various fields to choose from, some

very different from others.

Archaeology today shares ties to many other fields and disciplines, taking techniques and

strategies from them to help with more in-depth research. These fields often help to advance

archaeology with techniques not designed with archaeology in mind, but became staples of the

field, such as radiocarbon dating, first developed by atomic physicists, or methods of geological

dating, used by geologists but also very helpful to archaeologists. Paleontology, another

prehistory field, also lends its systems of evaluating and classifying fauna, which helps

archaeologists to understand what animal a set of remains might belong to, in order to deduce a

multitude of theories about what a culture might have eaten, what pack animals seemed

available, et cetera. There are also a number of techniques in the fields of sociology,

demography, economics, and political science that offer aid to archaeologists (Archaeology).
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Archaeology, while sometimes difficult to secure a job in, can become rewarding in the

long term, financially and personally. While a very competitive discipline, archaeologists on

average make a decent amount annually, with most making about $63,190, and the top ten

percent making around $99,590 a year. Most work full time on regular business hours, unless out

on field assignments (Bureau of Labor Statistics). But finding a job as an archaeologist in the

first place can prove harder. One of the most difficult areas of the field to get into remains, since

the beginnings of archaeology, a position at a college or university, since those are often the most

sought after jobs, having the highest pay, but they come with a good deal of work and knowledge

of the education field. Competition for sponsors to fund their excavations remains a constant

battle for independent archaeologists (Ringle). Even those who have found employment in

museums rarely do not need to find funding elsewhere for fieldwork (Ringle). These harder

settings, such as field work, do have a substantial pay wage, as regular work wages often

become boosted by extra hazard pay and field wages, along with rewards for finds.

Becoming an archaeologist stays a difficult and work-intensive path to take when

pursuing a career. It will take dedication, but for those who make the commitment, the rewards

to humanity are plentiful. Thanks to the men and women who strove to make archaeology the

exact science that it has become today, we continue to grow the world’s collective knowledge of

history. Archaeology remains a perfect way to glimpse the past of humanity, its rises and its

falls, its triumphs and its defeats. humanity learn from its past, so as to make better plans for the

future. Just as with every other historical field, as long as humanity continues to grow, and move

forwards, leaving a trail of words, items, carvings, structures and legacies behind, archaeologists

will remain there to find and preserve them for all time.
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Works Cited

U.S. Department of Labor. “Anthropologists and Archaeologists.” ​Bureau of Labor Statistics,​

www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/anthropologists-and-archeologists.htm

#tab-4.

National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC. ​Archaeology: Smithsonian Institution

Teacher's Resource Packet​. 01 Jan. 1993. EBSCO​host​,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,custuid&custid=s8455861&

db=eric&AN=ED462309&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

"Archaeology." ​Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia,​ 2017, p. 1p. 1. EBSCO​host,​

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,custuid&custid=s8455861&

db=funk&AN=AR133000&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

"Carter, Howard." ​Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia,​ 2017, p. 1p. 1. EBSCO​host,​

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db=funk&AN=CA055400&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Ringle, Bill. Personal Interview. 15 Feb. 2018.

Weiss, Daniel. “Super Fruitcake.” ​Archaeology.org,​ 11 Dec. 2017

www.archaeology.org/issues/282-features/top10/6167-antarctica-cape-adare-fruitcake​.
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“7 Great Innovators in Archaeology.” ​Natural Geographic​, 1 May 2015,

news.nationalgeographic.com/news/innovators/2014/05/140501-archaeology-innovation-

science/

BROWN, BRYAN. "POMPEII's SECRETS: Scientists Are Discovering How People Lived and

Died in the Ancient ! Roman City That Was Buried for Centuries under the Ash of Mount

Vesuvius." ​New York Times Upfront,​ 09 Oct. 2017, p. 18. EBSCO​host​,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,custuid&custid=s8455861&

db=f6h&AN=125791479&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Covington, Richard. "King Tut: The Pharaoh Returns!". ​Smithsonian​, 2018,

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/king-tut-the-pharaoh-returns-75720825/.

Accessed 26 Feb 2018.

URBANUS, JASON. "In the Time of the Rosetta Stone. (Cover Story)." ​Archaeology​, vol. 70,

no. 6, Nov/Dec2017, pp. 50-55. EBSCO​host​,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,custuid&custid=s8455861&

db=a9h&AN=125691258&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

“Archaeology Major, B.A.” ​Archaeology Major, B.A. < University of North Carolina at Chapel

Hill​,

catalog.unc.edu/undergraduate/programs-study/archaeology-major-ba/#requirementstext.