Any archaeologists out there? Share your best/worst dig story here

[malta blue]

In 1990 I worked at Tel Ashkelon in Ashkelon, Israel, about 10k north of the Gaza strip.
http://www.bibleplaces.com/ashkelon.htm

Highlights...spending every morning looking out onto the mediterranean. Lowlights...dealing with the IDF and almost being trampled outside the mosque a the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

I have also participated in excavations at Ramaditas in the Atacama desert of Northern Chile, Caye Coco in Belize (with Distressed American back in 1997), and most recently, Distressed American and I went on a preliminary field trip to the Dominican Republic to assess the excavations done at La Isabela, the first european city in the new world.

[lildreamer316]

1. (jumping up and down)

Is that hard to make a second career out of? I am 32 and a new mom but have always wanted to be an archaeologist.

[Kali]

2. don't do it

its worse than ranching - only do it if you already have money and it is just a travel hobby kind of thing. Talking LOW pay HARD work here. Even skilled burial people are under 20/hour.


Edited to change that to $20/hour instead of $20/day - that would be ranching.:7 :cry:

[lildreamer316]

4. Well, actually

I *do* have money (inheritance/investments) and in about 2 years would not need to stress at all about that. I don't mind a bit of hard work if we are working on something i am interested in. Thanks for the info thought. I was wondering how much school and what exactly I would need to take.

[malta blue]

5. Education is the key

If you are interested in a specific culture, you should try to become as well educated on all aspects, read up on the ethnohistory (if there is one), etc. as you can be. As for me, I have dabbled in several cultural groups, and can tell you that I am most interested in the Spanish colonial era. Background research in that field is tremendous. There is the Spanish history, the archaeology of the conquered, plus all of their history and the ethnohistory produced during the conquest, etc. Then you have to familiarize yourself with the data sets you will encounter: ceramics, lithics, etc.

If you really want to be serious about it, and be taken seriously, a PhD is the way to go. Otherwise, you can get a $12-15 an hour job working as a shovel bum for your local CRM firms. They will take anyone willing to work hard and long hours. You will learn more about the region in which you live, and who knows, you may have some great finds. When I was doing CRM work in Albany, NY, we excavated a 17th century rum distillery and found a pickled rat in one of the vats. It had probably fallen in at some point and the rum preserved it.

Edited for spelling.

[Kali]

6. Lots of volunteer oportunities

get a magazine like Archeology and read the classifieds - I have even seen ads in National Geographic. Trips range from rugged to luxurious, the American SW to Mexico, the Middle East.

[malta blue]

3. I quit when I became a mom

It was too hard to be away from little one. Although, I did do some work for a local CRM firm. I did field work for them for a while, and then was put in the lab when my belly got to be too big (liability issues and all).

It was after I had my daughter that Distressed American and I went on our preliminary investigations down in the DR, but since I am Dominican, I had a support network there to bring my kid. Also, you make absolutely no money, and now as a single parent, I can't afford to live my dreams. But hey, my friendship with DA has been strong for many many years now and he is an active archaeologist, so I can always get my kicks at his digs.