Expert: Ralph Salier - 3/6/2006

Question
Hey! I am beginning to be very interested in this field of work, although I'm really concerned about the time away it will take. How long does an excavation usually take? Are you away from home for more than half the year? I'm guessing all projects take different amounts of time... Are they usually very long projects, or short ones? Is it possible to raise a family if you're an archaeologist, or do you have to retire from it before you can live where you want?
Id REALLY appreciate these questions answered. I'm really excited about this but I need to know how much freedom I'll have, considering I want to have children some day and I want to be there for them.
Thanks so much!  

Answer
Hi Kari,

Archaeological digs take place all over the place and can last a field season (the summer) or many.  I've been on some which were only 2 weeks long per season but the site has been worked for the last 25 years!  Some, have been in the process of excavation for more then 100 years (off and on).  It all depends on the nature of the site, where it is, and why it is being excavated.  As mentioned, digs take place all over the world and it depends on your interests.  Are you interested in prehistory, historic, European, Eastern, Asian, African?  Your choice.  For most professional Archaeologists, you need a college degree, at least a Bachelors and you could get a Masters too.  As an Archaeologist, I did a fair amount of traveling but before the kids were born.  Once they were born, I stayed close to home and taught at a local college and sponsered digs.  But you need a Masters degree at least to do this.  You will need to have lab space and places to dig but most places have an abundance of sites.  So, these days, with the kids mostly off on their own, I travel more and work on various sites as a consultant.  I also teach and do lithics analysis for various digs.

But I understand your concern.  What is important is that you do the archaeology then pursue a family.  That way you will never have to think "what if".  Who knows, may be you will meet they guy of your dreams on a dig and you'll travel the world together children in tow to one site and another.

What a life that would be, the Leaky family did it and so have the Johansons.

Have fun.