Digging Through History - Archeologists

Archeologists examine the history and civilization of earlier societies with the assistance of physical remnants from the past such as tools, artwork, domiciles and human remains.  An inherent part of archeologists' knowledge is garnered from examination of the soil and earth through scientific excavations, which can only be done with proper permissions and credentials. Any excavation procedures must be completed slowly and cautiously so that nothing is overlooked and data can be noted. All of the objects that have been recovered are then classified, packed up and taken to the research laboratory for analysis.

Archeologists also learn about the social, cultural, and moral beliefs and lifestyles of people in past civilizations by locating and collecting information about rock art, or about housing styles and construction methods by diagramming buildings and structures, or even about marine history by investigating a historical shipwreck that is submerged.

Scope of Work

Because our time on Earth goes back for so many millennia, archeologists tend to specialize in specific time periods. Some analyze the beginnings of the human race well over a million years ago. Others study time periods right up to the recent past. The humans that lived during these periods might have had the same values and experienced stresses in some ways like our own, yet they lived their daily lives in really different ways.

Some archaeologists specialize not in a time period but in one kind of artifact evidence. These kinds of evidence include human and animal bone, stone artifacts, engravings, beadwork, clayware, pollen, and other evidence of past atmospheric conditions and climates, and, from the more recent past, buildings and historical records. Some of these studies require the application of scientific techniques, such as radiometric dating.

Documentation is an integral part of archeologists' work. This involves using careful data collection methods to record, map and photograph every detail of a particular site. Archeologists are often responsible for investigating and recovering rare and priceless evidence that cannot be replaced so they must be reliable and able to work systematically. Both fieldwork and science laboratory analysis is time-consuming and archeologists must have self-control and forbearance as well as the ability to conceptualize questions regarding the past and find ways to resolve them. Archeologists should be sensitive to cultural issues and be creative, quizzical thinkers. Archeologists should take nothing for granted. A commitment to the preservation of the past is necessary.

Working on Location

Archaeologists often do fieldwork in distant places where they have to camp down, but also work in townships and cities where ancient places are revealed beneath the ground during building operations, and do appraisals in rural and urbanized areas. Specialists in chemical or physical techniques work in labs in museums or universities. These jobs can be performed by people with handicaps that may keep them from performing fieldwork.