How to Become an Archaeologist in 4 Steps

Archaeologists like Indiana Jones are somewhat romanticized in popular culture, but in reality, these scholars are an important part of helping us understand the past.

To become an archaeologist, you'll need to gain the right education and experience. Below, we'll explain what an archaeologist does and what steps you need to take to become one.

What Is an Archaeologist?

An archaeologist is both a scientist and a historian. They study the origins and history of humans by excavating sites and examining artifacts.

The job duties of an archaeologist may vary slightly depending on who you're working for and what type of project you're working on. General duties include:

• excavating sites looking for historical evidence
• evaluating the importance of a site
• forming evidence-based conclusions about past human activity
• recording and analyzing data
• planning and participating in research projects
• surveying the ground to find archaeological sites or examine a particular area
• writing reports and presenting findings

Archaeologists often work for cultural resource management (CRM) companies. These companies identify, assess, and preserve archaeological sites.

As an archaeologist, you also may work for museums, historical sites, universities, or government agencies. You may split your time between on-site work and a lab or research center.

Most of the time, archaeologists choose to specialize in a specific time period or area of the world. There are two major disciplines in archaeology: prehistoric archaeology and historic archaeology.

Within these two groups, there are multiple subdisciplines. Examples of archaeology subdisciplines include:

• classical archaeology: the study of ancient Rome and Greece
• environmental archaeology: the study of environmental conditions in the past
• ethnoarchaeology: the study of people and cultures of the past by looking at people and cultures of today
• forensic archaeology: the application of archaeology to solve crimes or mysteries, especially in conflict areas of mass murder or genocide
• industrial archaeology: the study of materials created after the Industrial Revolution
• paleopathology: the study of diseases in ancient cultures
• underwater archaeology: the application of archaeology in underwater environments to recover shipwrecks or lost cities

Becoming an archaeologist typically requires several years of post-secondary education. We've broken down all the steps for you below.

Step 1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree is typically the minimum education needed to begin a career in archaeology. These programs usually take four years and require about 120-semester credits.

Some schools offer archaeology majors, while others will put archaeology studies under an anthropology major. Anthropology is the study of cultures both past and present.

Other majors for archaeologists may include:

• art history
• classical studies
• geography
• history
• sociology

A bachelor's degree will typically allow you to work as a field assistant, lab assistant, or research assistant.

Step 2: Gain Experience

To work even an entry-level archaeology job or to enter a master's degree program, you will likely need a certain amount of experience.

Internships are an excellent way to gain this experience, and you can do these internships while you're still in school.

Depending on the college or university you attend, you may be able to find an internship or even a work-study program with your school's archaeology department.

The National Council for Preservation Education partners with the National Park Service to offer paid internships for recent graduates. These internships take place across the country.

Another great way to gain experience is by joining one of the programs offered through the Institute for Field Research (IFR).

The IFR runs programs in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, allowing you to choose a program that matches your preferred area of focus.

These programs typically last three or four weeks. However, they don't offer college credit and can cost between $3,000 to $6,000.

Step 3: Earn a Master's Degree

For roles beyond those of assistants, you'll typically need at least a master's degree. Master's degrees typically require between 30 and 40 credits and take two years to complete.

These programs usually include a mix of lectures, lab courses, and possibly fieldwork. Course topics may include:

• archaeology fieldwork
• cultural resource management
• ethics and law in archaeology
• introduction to archaeology
• art and architecture
• preservation methods
• science in archaeology

During your master's degree, you'll have the opportunity to focus more on your area of interest. For example, you can take courses on classical archaeology, ancient Egypt, or zooarchaeology.

Step 4: Consider a Doctoral Degree

Not all archaeologists need to have a doctoral degree, but certain positions do. For example, leadership roles and research positions often require a doctoral degree.

Similarly, you may need to have a PhD if you want to work internationally, depending on the laws of the country you'll be working in.

You can earn a PhD in archaeology or in anthropology with an archaeology specialty. You can also earn a PhD in a specific area of archaeology, such as medical archaeology.

PhD programs average four to six years in length, though the length of your program depends on your school and program.

The first part of the program is often focused on coursework, while the latter part is focused on field research. Depending on your program, nearly half your time may be spent on field research.

Become an Archaeologist

To become an archaeologist, you need to earn at least a bachelor's degree, if not a graduate degree. You also need to gain experience working in archaeology or a related field.