“Archaeology is the only discipline that seeks to study human behaviour and thought without having any direct contact with either.” – Bruce G. Trigger (Archaeologist, Anthropologist & Ethnohistorian)
Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Who is an Archaeologist?
An archaeologist is a scientist who studies human history by digging up human remains and artifacts AKA Treasure Hunters. Are you passionate about our Indian culture and its history and want to explore – remains of the past and considering archaeology as a career prospect, go through these Pros & Cons on the subject;
| POSITIVES | NEGATIVES |
| Get to travel a lot and visit different sites | Tough working conditions even in bad weather |
| Employment growth has been decent | Possibility to face the wild animals, robbers, land mafias, anti-social elements |
| There are many sectors which you can chose accordingly | Constant and long hours of travelling which can cause health problems |
| Way of enriching the society | For advancement higher post-secondary degree may be required |
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Under-Graduate: To pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Archaeology should have studied history as a subject in 10+2
- Post-Graduate: For post graduate diploma courses in Archaeology, one should have completed his/her graduation in any discipline. However, graduates in social sciences like sociology, history, anthropology is given a preference.
ONE CAN EVEN SPECIALISE IN
- Historical archaeology: Study of cultures with some form of writing.
- Ethno archaeology: Study of living people.
- Experimental archaeology: It is the application of experimental methods to develop highly controlled observations of processes to create and impact archaeological records.
INSTITUTES IN INDIA – who offer courses in Archaeology
- Allahabad University, Allahabad
- Acharya Nagarjuna University, Department of History and Archaeology
- Andhra University, Colleges of Arts & Commerce, Andhra Pradesh
- Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management
- Deccan College, Post-Graduate and Research Institute: Department of Archaeology, Pune
- St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai (Maharashtra)
- Assumption College, KERELA
- Deccan College of Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Yervada, Pune
- AP Singh University, Rewa
- Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur
Good to know;
#1 There are two types of archaeology
1. Prehistoric archaeology – Only focusses on past cultures that did not have any written language.
2. Historical archaeology – Study of cultures that existed during the period of history recorded.
#2 Lucy, the oldest human known to man — nearly 3.2 million years old — was dug up in Ethiopia by archaeologist.
#3 The First Archaeologist – Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon who ruled between 555–539 BCE.
#4 The Father of Archaeology – Sir Flinders Petrie excavated over 40 sites in Egypt. His collection forms the basis of the Petrie Museum of Archaeology and other archaeologists are indebted to the methodologies he developed.
#5 India’s Youngest Archaeologist – Arsh Ali Is Just 17 & Already Has 13 Years of Experience!
