Expert: Ralph Salier - 10/3/2007

Question
Currently our daughter is a sophomore at Mt. Holyoke College in MA. Her major is Anthropology, minor in Ancient Studies. She is currently interested in Historical Archeology and Nautical Archeology.
Ok here are the questions. Her study abroad options next year are Athens Greece, Siena Italy and Mystic Seaport, CT where she can study on a ship off the Mississippi Delta. It would appear that her first and second options are better, do you agree? Second question: Where would you suggest she do her postgraduate work? Currently she is looking at Texas A & M as a possibility. What do you know about that program, and/or can you suggest others?

Answer
Hi Donald.

She is going to a great school!! My daughter graduated from Mt. Holyoke in 2004 in biology and then got her Masters at Duke in NC.  

Both fields are very good and active.  However, she needs to make a decision as to focus on one or the other (to a degree).  She also needs to deside to regionalize.  There are a lot of opportunities in the US for Nautical Archaeology and Mystic would be a great choice.  They have a great program and are very well respected in the field.  I don't know about opportunities for doing either Historical Archaeology or Nautical in Siena or Athens.  There is a lot of nautical work being done in the Med and this may be sponsored thru one of the universities in Greece.  However most is sponsered by US universities and Cambridge in the UK then Greece.

She wants to get a Masters in Archaeology?  Have your daughter contact me at rsalier@hotmail.com.  I need to ask her some very direct questions which will allow me to direct her to the best options.  One of the things that I will recommend however is that she do a double major and besides Anthro to also study either economics or industrial engineering.  Both are tough but there are very specific reasons for this.  Also when doing a Masters, it needs to double for a bi-directional career move.  A masters in Anthropology would be better then one in Archaeology and not diminish her principle goals.

It would make her far more employable in the long run.