To train as an Archaeologist?

[Todecide]

I am nearly 40 and have been a SAHM for a while.

I have the opportunity to study for a degree in Archaeology & History.

However, I am having doubts as to whether I would ever get paid work in this sector. My last career was in something office based.

I know that there is not much recruitment but there are opportunities for dig work experience. At the end of the day, I am just wary of studying for all that time and volunteering but never getting a job.

Any archaeologists/historians out there?

It's all very well saying life is too short to not try to do what you love but I'd say that it's not worth wasting time & money on a degree that won't get you into doing what you love, or if by some stroke of luck you do get a job you're looking at no money or a low wage.

Be practical. Think of things you can do and where there are likely to be offers of employment.

What is it about law that means you can't go back? That would seem like a good place to start. Or if not that then think about your transferable skills. If you're willing to find retraining you might as well do it in an area you have a shot of getting work...

Zen "be practical?", hence the point of this thread

Law? Well, law is very competitive and getting back into it is not that easy, esp if you have been out of it for quite some time.

But, you are right in the sense of not wanting to waste time and money and there are a lot of alternative careers.

Heart or head, tough choice...

Have you decided to go for it?

I don't know...

I'll PM you.

Fide reply sent #

One thing that is really putting me off is that over the last few months I have contacted heritage/arch firms for work experience.

I outlined my previous work experience (maybe some use to them) in exhange for the opportunity to volunteer.

I have not had one response, even to say "thanks, but no thanks".

I have a Masters and PhD in Archaeology from Cambridge, my first degree was in Medieval History. I finished my PhD in the mid 90s and for 4 years had various short term jobs in the heritage area. I loved the subject but on the whole hated the atmosphere of the places I worked in. Pay was derisory. I also lectured part time in adult education.

I have since been a SAHP for 15 years and am trying to re-enter the workforce now, but not as an archaeologist. I am currently doing voluntary work in archival management and hope that will lead somewhere.

I found archaeology a tough and unpleasant sector to work in. I still love the subject though and keep up with it as much as I can.

However, as a counter example, a friend of mine entered higher education for the first time at 50, did archaeology at Cambridge, then a PhD and is now working as an academic archaeologist and is happier than I have ever known her to be. She has no children though, so has been able to throw herself into archaeology and to travel a lot.

I wouldn't think its a good choice for a young person, its so difficult these days might as well train in something needed.

Someone older just doing it for fun that is finincally stable (paid off mortgage, cash in bank) is fine.

If you can't even get volentier work, its not a thriving industry

So many fantastically qualified people on this thread! It really is food for thought.

I think I will be better off qualifying in something else (a trade maybe). I can get my "history fix" from online methods such as Coursera, etc.

Such a shame. I do have a certain about of flexibility that it need not bring in lots of £'s and I could work for min wage.

But, the practical side of me, would want some kind of career path or ROI.

DyslexicScientist

That's just not true!
It's a badly paid industry (commercial archaeology anyway), but we're doing very well atm, particularly due to the house building boom.

And i take issue with the 'something needed' etc. there seems to be a general public perception that archaeology is somehow a gentlemans hobby (as it was back in the Victorian periods!). The work we do is vital to planning processes, and vital to preserving cultural heritage. Prior to the 1990s developers/planners basically had carte blanche in the UK to destroy whatever they pleased, with the exception of the big visible sites. The professionalisation of the industry and changes to the planning process has led to the identification of far more sites, the gathering of much more data, and literally transformed the way we understand the past in many areas of the UK.

There are loads of volunteer projects running through the year also. Often the best way to get involved is to find a local archaeology/heritage group and join or contact them. Many community projects are undertaken with the help of these groups, and they will often be the first to hear of projects in their areas.

todecide
can i ask where abouts in the uk you are based?

Sorry I could see why the something needed comment could cause offence, I didn't mean it like that but I did mean training in something we are short of.

I can't see this housing boom lasting for much longer, house prices are already ridiculous and the average first time buyer being almost 40. They have boomed because of lots of printed money and uber low rates, the fundimentals are very shakey indeed and could come tumbleing down. Average house price 10-15 times average wage is not sustainable.

paleo - I'm a member of eh and I know they do valuable work. It just seems to be an industry where there are far more people training than there will ever be jobs.

Ibthink CSI is to blame for a boom in 900% more people studying than there will ever be jobs for.

If it's something you're going to love, do it. I studied history and landscape archaeology full time when I was 37, it's never too late to do what you love. There are loads of freelance opportunities out there even if there are a lack of employed jobs at the mo.

I graduated in History and Archaeology (BA) back in the '80's and worked as a dirty digger, mostly in Hampshire, for about five years afterwards. Then my back went... I do wish I'd chosen a BSc course instead.

Two of the cohort are still working in Archaeology, both as senior site managers with big commercial archaeology units. The rest of us ended up doing all sorts of stuff.

I now thoroughly enjoy reading Current Archaeology each month, but have no desire to go back.

Don't worry DyslexicScientist, only mildly professionally offended

100% agree about the current housing boom being unsustainable, I can't believe it's gone on as long as it has. Over the past few years the majority of the work we do is related to housing. Prior to the 2008 crash, we seemed to be doing lots of large infrastructure jobs (pipelines, roads etc.), less so now (at least at our place).

Are you a masochist? If so then retraining as an archaeologist is perfect for you :)
Field archaeology is a hard life. The main problem is that lots of people are interested in the subject and are willing to volunteer their time, this makes it difficult to find proper, well paid, long term jobs.
My local historical society runs a free survey group and field trips, with training digs. It is associated with the university. Maybe yours does something similar?

Good post on the viability of commercial archaeology
rmchapple.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/another-turn-round-plughole-commercial.html?m=1

Ding oh no, not fieldwork, that is not for me.

If you like the idea of comparing maps, visiting archives and occasionally getting out into the landscape to see what's there (and occasionally measuring earthworks) then Landscape archaeology rather than field archaeology is the way to go. A few universities specialise in it (UEA where I went is very good) and it's a very niche skill, apparently. Super interesting too!

Icecream that does sound very interesting.

So glad I started this thread.

i did my degree in Prehistoric Archaeology. I now work in Insurance.

Well I hope that someone else may decide to go ahead any give it a try