Degree in Archaeology-What next? Advice

cogra10

Hi,
I finished my 3 year degree from DKIT in Dundalk, I studied English and Archaeology. For my final year I completed my dissertation in Archaeology where I looked into indigenous Archaeology and compared and contrasted National legislation in this area between America and Australia.
I worked for free with my local heritage officer for a month one summer while at the same time on an excavation my lecturer was carrying out.

So Im just wondering should I continue to pursue archaeology as a career in this day and age, because I have been applying for internships for archives,excavations and working in the museum and nothing.
Other Option I was thinking of at the minute is to go into adult education or use the English part of my degree and become a librarian.
So is is worth continuing to pursue archaeology as a career or even to lecture it perhaps one day?
Thanks, in advance.

slowburner

cogra10 wrote: »

Hi,
I finished my 3 year degree from DKIT in Dundalk, I studied English and Archaeology. For my final year I completed my dissertation in Archaeology where I looked into indigenous Archaeology and compared and contrasted National legislation in this area between America and Australia.
I worked for free with my local heritage officer for a month one summer while at the same time on an excavation my lecturer was carrying out.

So Im just wondering should I continue to pursue archaeology as a career in this day and age, because I have been applying for internships for archives,excavations and working in the museum and nothing.
Other Option I was thinking of at the minute is to go into adult education or use the English part of my degree and become a librarian.
So is is worth continuing to pursue archaeology as a career or even to lecture it perhaps one day?
Thanks, in advance.

That's a pretty heavy question and it would not be reasonable to expect advice on what to do with your career from forum members.

Archaeology as a profession has been decimated since 2008.
The decline in the number of excavations issued is alarming, to say the least.

I guess that everyone here knows archaeologists who have been forced to give up the career they love and were educated for.

The situation at the moment is not good. When and if things will pick up is another matter entirely.
It might or might not be significant, but the rate of decline in the number of excavations slowed in the first half of this year - whether or not that rate is significant, remains to be seen.

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Gee Bag

Hi Cogra,

It is difficult to find continual employment in archaeology at present. However, there are oppurtunites out there to get paid work on excavations as so many experienced archaeologists have left the profession since the downturn.

I see from a previous post that you have some experience having worked on a research excavation which will stand to you. Working on a commercial excavation is very different, and to be perfectly honest it's not for everyone, running around with a wheel barrow in a bog in winter can be miserable and the sh1t pay doesn't help. However, if you can put up with that and the constant moving from town to town you might just fall in love with it.

I'd suggest that the best thing you could do would be to e-mail a CV to as many different archaeological companies as possible in order to get some commercial excavation exerience. This will at the very least give you some idea of whether or not this is a career you would like to pursue. A list of arch companies and contact details is available here....
http://www.archaeojobs.com/p/archaeological-contractors-consultants.html

and for UK jobs here.....
www.bajr.org

Commercial archaeological fieldwork falls under the same laws applicable to the construction industry, therefore you will need to have completed a Safe Pass course before you are allowed on site. If you are on the dole at the minute you can do this through FAS.

Sorry if that all sounds a bit grim, but unfortunately thats the way it is at the minute. Best of luck to you!!

Aelfric

Cogra,

"Get thee to Australia!" would be my advice. Look for archaeological companies in and aroound Perth in WA, and target them with a CV. Mention your background in Indigenous Cultural Heritage. There have been a lot of Irish exports into the WA Archaeology scene in recent years, and the trend seems to be continuing. Get yourself a working holiday visa (see www.immi.gov.au), and get your CV in the mail.

There's really not a lot happening closer to (your) home, I'm afraid, but if you try that island next door, as the Gee Bag mentioned, you may have a little more luck.

Personally, and don't shout this too loudly, I'd be looking into Conservation studies. I think Queens do a course.

Hope that gives you something else to think about.

Regards,


Aelfric (in Oz)

RDM_83 again

There is work out there at the minute, I wouldn't be the most experienced person in the world in terms of practical archaeology but I have been in fairly continuous employment this year.
I only started getting work though once I was working, and I literally haven't said no to any available work so I have kept in with one or two companies.

Unfortunately the state the industry seems to be in its just not really a sustainable job, the work is uncertain and can finish early and you can be paying two rents and/or travel costs, this combined with the low low wages and no expenses means that its not easy to save anything at all and you can end up loosing money working.

That list Gee Bag put up from Archaeojobs is quiet good but AFAIK its a bit out of date with one or two new companies :eek: not on it, and a fair few ones that have shut down.
Its probably worth keeping an eye out on some of the bigger companies Facebook pages too rather than just their websites as the jobs seem to go up on there.

Aelfric can you put up some more info on archaeology work in Oz if you can (or is it ok if I pm you?)

slowburner

RDM_83 again wrote: »

There is work out there at the minute, I wouldn't be the most experienced person in the world in terms of practical archaeology but I have been in fairly continuous employment this year.
I only started getting work though once I was working, and I literally haven't said no to any available work so I have kept in with one or two companies.

Unfortunately the state the industry seems to be in its just not really a sustainable job, the work is uncertain and can finish early and you can be paying two rents and/or travel costs, this combined with the low low wages and no expenses means that its not easy to save anything at all and you can end up loosing money working.

That list Gee Bag put up from Archaeojobs is quiet good but AFAIK its a bit out of date with one or two new companies :eek: not on it, and a fair few ones that have shut down.
Its probably worth keeping an eye out on some of the bigger companies Facebook pages too rather than just their websites as the jobs seem to go up on there.

Aelfric can you put up some more info on archaeology work in Oz if you can (or is rit ok if I pm you?)

I have no problem with a listing here of companies currently hiring and/or those no longer in business.