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Last Updated By Harleen Kaur on 25 Aug, 2022
In simple terms, Archaeology means the study of the ancient human past through materials remain. It is also a sub disciple to Anthropology, which is a study of varied human cultures. The experts in Archaeology are called Archaeologists. Archaeology is an inter-disciplinary activity that deal with the investigation of material development made by past human societies. The objective of Archaeology is to study earlier human cultures through identification, excavation and survey of historical sites. As a multidisciplinary activity, archaeology involves various subjects such as art history, anthropology, geology, ethnology, linguistics, history, physics and statistics.
They make use of their knowledge from the humanities, social, physical, and biological sciences. They also examine the ways of prehistoric societies in various parts of the world. They also study the customs, values, and social patterns of different cultures for the research purpose. Many archaeologists use sophisticated tools and technologies in their work. Although tasks vary by speciality, materials often include excavating tools, laboratory equipment, statistical and database software.
Provided below are the responsibilities of an archaeologists:
To conduct excavation with shovels & other tools.
To perform archival research, testing as well as evaluation.
To consult with the project team about laws and regulations concerning cultural resource issues.
To wash, bag, and label artefacts.
To develop & maintain a cultural resource information base for the field.
To maintain presentations for the public, at workshops and other venues.
To maintain archaeological inventories.
To complete drawing sketch maps, field forms & prepare profile and plan view field drawings.
Provided below is the eligibility criteria to become archaeologists:
| Qualification Required |
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| Skills |
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Check out the list of popular courses and colleges that aspirants can consider to become an archaeologist:
Course Name | Course Fee (Annual) | College Name |
BA in Archaeology & Museology | INR 50,000 to INR 1,50,000 |
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BA in Indian History Culture & Archaeology | INR 60,000 to INR 1,00,000 | |
MA in Ancient Indian History and Archaeology | INR 10,000 to INR 1,00,000 | |
| INR 8,000 to INR 1,00,000 | ||
Master of Philosophy in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology | INR 10,000 to INR 1,00,000 | |
Post-Graduate Diploma in Archaeology | INR 10,000 to INR 1,00,000 |
To take any admission related help, reach out to our admission experts by either dialling 1800-572-9877 (toll-free) or fill-up the Common Application Form.
To become an archaeologist, you must meet the educational requirements and follow the steps outlined below:
Step 1: Complete a bachelor's degree
You must first complete an undergraduate programme and earn a bachelor's degree in anthropology or a similar field such as geography or history. After having completed your secondary school education (10+2), you can enroll in a BA Archaeology programme. You will conduct professional assessments of archaeological sites and may actively engage in excavation projects as part of your education. This will assist you in analysing and interpreting historical data.
Step 2: Completion of an internship
Internships and fellowships provide valuable field experience, which is required for many archaeology job positions. Museums, archaeological organisations, and government agencies are certain areas that may provide archaeological internships. Internships focus on providing supervised experience, allowing you to assess your worthiness for such work and make sure that it is the right career path for you.
Step 3: Get your master's degree
A bachelor's degree is sufficient for entry-level positions, but most archaeologists prefer to study at a university after graduation. A master's degree expands your knowledge of the field and enhances your technical skills. MA, MPhil, Diploma, and PG Diploma in archaeology or a related field are some common master's degrees.
Step 4: Consider getting a doctorate
If you want to work as an archaeology professor or lead high-level projects, you should consider getting a PhD in archaeology or a related field. A doctorate typically takes three years to complete, not including the several months of field research required for a specific dissertation.
Step 5: Join an archaeology agency
When you join an archaeology organisation, you are interacting with people who are enthusiastic about the field and want to preserve cultural heritage. You can learn about the latest news and read archaeology magazines through these organisations. Joining a local society expands your network, allows you to share your research, and helps you improve your skills. Furthermore, the contacts you make can help you find better job opportunities.
Step 6: Create resume and seek employment
A professional CV that highlights your relevant education, skills, and experience can make an impression on a potential employer. When writing your CV, emphasise your experience in archaeology and the specific field in which you want to advance your career. After completing your bachelor's and master's degrees, you can seek employment in your field of interest. Choosing the right job after finishing your education is crucial for gaining experience and progressing in your career. Associate archaeologist, collections manager, cultural resource specialist, historic preservation officer, excavation technician, heritage consultant, and laboratory technician are a few entry-level archaeologist jobs.
Provided below are a few popular job roles that aspirants willing to become an archaeologist can consider:
Museum/ Gallery Exhibition Officer: He/ She is responsible for planning or organising permanent or travelling exhibitions. They also manage or supervise activities in a museum.
Urban Archaeologist: These archaeologists play a significant role in studying the urban centres or cities.
Pre-Historic Archaeologist: An archaeologist who examines human traditions associated with the pre-historic or historic era is called as Pre-Historic Archaeologists.
Palaeontologist: An archaeologist who studies about life forms that existed on the Earth before the advent of humans is called as Palaeontologist.
Marine Archaeologist: Marine Archaeologist is also called an underwater archaeologist who studies and examines the remains of ships along with the study of cultures that were developed along the coastline.
Environmental Archaeologist: A person who studies the impact of the environment on the past societies and societies’ impact on the environment is called an Environmental Archaeologist.
Documentation Specialist: An archaeologist who studies the documents of past cultures and societies and compiles them in an order is called as a documentation specialist.
Lecturer: A person who is an expert in the field of Archaeology and teachers students in universities or college is called as Archaeology lecturer.
Experimental Archaeologist: An archaeologists who replicate obsolete objects and processes to have an understanding of their work is called as Experimental Archaeologist.
An archaeologist must have the following skill sets to be the best in their field:
After attaining necessary qualifications and skills, Archaeologists can get into various positions in government and the private sector. However, the employment opportunities for Archaeologists are more in the government sector rather than private. The following are some of the organisations in which archaeologists can take up jobs:
National Heritage Agencies
Indian Council of Historical Research
Archaeological Survey of India
National Museums
Government and Private Museums
Cultural Galleries
Universities and Colleges
Most of the employment opportunities for Archaeologists are available in the government sector. The following are top government organisations in India that recruit archaeologists:
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the primary recruiter of archaeologists at both the central and state levels. The graduates can secure jobs in ASI by clearing Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination or State Public Service Commission (SPSC) exam.
The students who possess a postgraduate degree in Archaeology can apply for the post of lecturers/professors in various universities across the country. However, qualifying marks in National Eligibility Test (NET) is mandatory to become a professor.
A bachelor's degree in anthropology or a similar field can be used to launch an archaeology career. Candidates can choose any discipline at the intermediate level, preferably the humanities, and begin their studies in the right direction as early as the secondary education offered in schools. A higher education degree, such as a BA, BSc, MA, or MSc, can also assist students in finding jobs with good pay scales. Because India has a rich cultural heritage, the demand for archaeologists in India is higher. Skilled and experienced students can apply for a variety of job positions in the public and private sectors. With a post-graduate diploma in archaeology, you can work as a lecturer in a variety of universities or institutions. As an archaeologist, you can work in either private or public museums to ensure the safe preservation and management of museum artifacts. Jobs in archaeology are available to those who are interested in learning about the past of humans, animals, or civilizations that existed thousands of years ago. Aspirants can find employment in the government sector by taking an exam administered by the Union Public Service Commission or the Staff Selection Commission. A tourism degree holder could also work as a tourist guide, heritage manager, interpreter, or resource person for trip organisers. Archaeology graduates have a lot of opportunities for jobs and research at various colleges and universities.
The salary earned by an Archaeologists has been given below:
Job Profile | Starting Salary per annum (in INR) | Mid Level Salary per annum (in INR) | Senior Level Salary per annum (In INR) |
Archaeologists (Government) | Rs. 3,50,000 | Rs. 6,00,000 | Rs. 10,00,000 |
Lecturer | Rs. 2,50,000 | Rs. 4,00,000 | Rs. 6,00,000 |
Documentation Specialist | Rs. 2,60,000 | Rs. 3,60,00 | Rs. 5,00,000 |
Palaeontologist | Rs. 3,50,000 | Rs. 7,00,000 | Rs. 10,00,000 |
Assistant Archaeologist | Rs. 2,00,000 | Rs. 4,00,000 | Rs. 6,00,000 |
Museum/ Gallery Officer or Curator | Rs. 1,50,000 | Rs. 3,00,000 | Rs. 5,00,000 |
Note: The above figures are an estimate and may vary from individual to individual and company to company.
For most of the university entrance exams, students need to focus on basic History and General Awareness. Here are some of the books that will help Archaeology students to enhance their knowledge in the field.
Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice by Colin Renfrew
Gods, Graves and Scholars: The Story of Archaeology by CW Ceram
Archaeological Theory by Matthew Johnson
1177 BC: The Year Civilisation Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
Archaeology: A Brief Introduction by Brian M Fagan
Archaeology is an ideal profession for those who want to make a career in unravelling mysteries of the ancient past.
A famous discovery in the field of Archaeology brings the status and reputation of an archaeologist to iconic proportions.
The career has a sense of adventure and it seldom gets boring.
Archaeologists face inclement weather, hazardous and tough working conditions in the field of work.
Long working hours in the field and constant travelling can be punishing on the mind and the body.
An archaeologist may have to lead a nomadic lifestyle.
The following are some of the steps that students need to follow to become an archaeologist. For becoming an archaeologist, students need to plan their career right from the Class 12. Even though students from any stream in Class 12 are eligible to pursue courses in Archaeology, there are a set up of courses that will add advantage.
Subjects Combination: There is a specific subject combination required in Class 12 to pursue a course in Archaeology. However, Arts stream in Class 12 will add more advantage to your career prospect. Since a few institutes offer B.A. course in Archaeology, you can also take up B.A. course in Ancient History/ History so that you can take up Master’s (M.A.) course in Archaeology. However, for some of the jobs like Marine Archaeologists, an engineering degree in Marine Engineering is relevant.
Take our test and find out if it suits your strengths.
To get into the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), an archaeologist has to appear in the UPSC exam and qualify the exam with the minimum requisite cutoff score.
Only those archaeologists who do not reside in the vicinity of their research areas get to travel.
Sir Alexander Cunningham is regarded as the Father of Indian Archaeology.
An archaeologist faces various technical difficulties at work along with some other petty difficulties like bad weather, bugs, mud etc.
Institutions like Banaras Hindu University, University of Mysore, Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management etc are considered as the top colleges to pursue archaeology from in India.
Archaeologists are offered various job roles like a lecturer, documentation specialist, palaeontologist, experimental archaeologist, cartographer etc.
Yes, an archaeologist does various work where they are required to calculate distances, diameters, weights etc for which knowledge of mathematics is important.
To become a successful archaeologist, the candidates must have a master’s degree at least which means we are looking at a minimum of 5 years of study.
It is not hard to become an archaeologist with just a Bachelor’s degree but to have a secured career, the candidates must have a master’s degree as the jobs for an archaeologist with a bachelor’s degree are very scarce.
In the initial stages, an archaeologist is paid in the bracket of INR 2.5 LPA to INR 3.5 LPA which may vary on the organisation for which the archaeologist renders his/her services.
You could become a Teacher , an Artist (Fine Arts & Commercial Arts) , a Graphic Designer , a Psychologist after studying M.A. (Master of Arts).
