How physically demanding is an Archaeology career?
jamie a asked:
I am a history major currently, and am seriously considering a degree in Archaeology later on. The problem is, I have a disabled left hand, and while I am right handed, it is still very difficult to do some every day tasks.
I am simply wondering if it would be illogical for me to pursue an Archaeology degree due to my hand.
I am a history major currently, and am seriously considering a degree in Archaeology later on. The problem is, I have a disabled left hand, and while I am right handed, it is still very difficult to do some every day tasks.
I am simply wondering if it would be illogical for me to pursue an Archaeology degree due to my hand.
3 Responses to “How physically demanding is an Archaeology career?”
Squirrely T says:
2010/06/26 at 11:52 pm
Not at all. You work with crews when you’re out in the field, which the season is only like 3 months out of the year depending on where you are based, anyway. So field work, you would have a tremendous amount of help with your collegues. Lab work is crucial and sometimes you are working with tedious, small and delicate artifacts, it’s all a matter of how easily capable you are with labwork, if you can handle all the testing, carbon dating, cataloging, etc. you should have no problem.
Archengle says:
2010/06/28 at 5:16 am
Archaeological field work is very physically demanding. During phase ones you walk several miles a day usually digging shovel tests between 30cm diameter and 50cm deep to 50cm diameter and 1 meter deep and thats assuming you hit sterile soil. I was on a survey where we had to go through a full meter of modern fill that had the consistency of brick. In phase two and three you are digging units anywhere from 1 square meter to 100s of square meters. For these it is exhausting to keep the walls and floors straight using a shovel and/or trowel. The meantime you and/or somebody else is screening dirt, sometimes hard and clay, through 1/4 inch mesh screen. The whole time suffering the elements. The season is not just 3 months but whenever the contract stipulates. I’ve done work in conditions ranging from sleet and ice to 110 degrees. Your condition might not necessarily keep you from being an archaeologist. While digging we do not slam the shovel in the ground and manhandle the dirt, rather we slowly scrape away in layers thinly (except for during phase one which is akin to digging a post-hole). I wouldn’t say it illogical to become an archaeologist, there are many specialties that rarely use a shovel (lab technician, geophysics, osteology etc…). The one time you would be required to do fieldwork during your education is fieldschool. Even then archaeology instructors are pretty understanding and may let you screen or map most of the time but they may ask that you give a try at digging until you no longer can for the experience. And after you’ve been in the discipline long enough you can be the director or crew chief who looks on while the crew does the grunt work.
Richard says:
2010/06/29 at 10:08 am
It will probably be more demanding out on the field as an undergrad or post-grad as the people in charge of the field work always get the newbies to do the sh*t work first (so expect a lot of digging, trenching, cleaning and drawing!). As you become more of a professional or post-doc, you’ll probably have you’re own set of people to order around. Although I’m sure that with you’re disabled hand, they will find a way of using you out in the field somehow.
There is usually a lot of measuring and taking notes out in the field as well so there is always a need for a good scribe. You can also be a part of the team that analyse any uncovered artifacts.