Archaeology degrees

[Nathan-Drake0075]

Does anybody know a good university for an archaeology degree? Also what's the best way to break onto treasure hunting? Thanks?

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

I would think that any university that gives a degree in archaeology would be adequate. Ie.: a degree is a degree is a degree. Unless there's some bad reputation a particular single university has ?

Here's a thought: If you do a google search on all the currently active highly acclaimed archies . Eg.: those who are getting published works, hired to do digs in sacred spots, etc... Then compare where their degrees came from. If you see a trend where a bunch of them are graduates of "such & such", then ... you'd have your answer as to the most reputable, I suppose.

As for the "best way to break into treasure hunting", I think you are going to come up against resistance, if you think an archaeology degree is the way to do it. They *bristle* at the thought of Treasure hunting. About the only reason I can think that there'd be a benefit to holding a degree, is so that you can be a "fox guarding the hen-house". Perhaps it would give you credentials to get in and detect off-limits sites.

I know of one archaeologist who detected and bottle dug his sites (off-hours, when the other archies weren't around). So as you can see, even HE had to be a little ... uh ... "discreet". So gee, if that's the recipe, then why go to all the trouble of getting a degree. I can be "discreet" too, eh ?

But I think this is a waste of time. Just get a detector, and you'll find no shortage of sites to detect at. Don't need a degree.

 

[Nathan-Drake0075]

Thank you so much for your insight! I thought if you need to do research in any archives you need to have some sort of credentials

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Thank you so much for your insight! I thought if you need to do research in any archives you need to have some sort of credentials

Some of them, yes. There are depositories of archaeological research (white glove type stuff). Like for the Smithsonian trinomial system (where the data that went into the background of the sites-getting-an-assigned #) gets archived. At select universities around the USA. And yes, the general public can't go waltzing in those.

However, here's the way you get into those ivory castle places: You become a docent at your local historical society, or city's museum. Usually requires 6 hrs. p/month of manning a desk, or sorting papers, etc... Then ... after you know everyone on a first name basis, you tell the city head curator that you're going to such & such university to do some research. They write you a letter of introduction. That will get you in to those places. At no time do you mention detecting. Yes yes, fox-guarding the henhouse. Muhahaha

But to be honest with you, there's not much there that you can't also find elsewhere. In-so-far as the type stuff we need to know. Eg.: Where were yesteryear stage stops, picnic sites, defunct resorts, etc.... A lot of the "secrecy" is more for indian stuff (to discourage would-be indian artifact collecting/digging). When it comes to western history, a lot of the archie stuff is boring . Or done @ places that are already "no secret".

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Yale and Harvard both have excellent Archaeology programs. But you have to have a fortune first.

I had time to kill in Philadelphia one year and across the street from the Convention Center was the University of Pennsylvania. I wandered over and they had the Egypt Exhibits open for the public. I was ASTONISHED how much of Egypt had been carted off. Dozens of mummies/sarcophogi, and a good portion of a whole temple/palace they had "abducted". That would probably be a good bet for a degree in Archaeology.

 

[MadTom]

Check your States university. I would think state schools also have better access to sites

 

[Ryano]

Charlie - you'd love the British Museum. Until fairly recently they had more Royal Egyptian mummies and artifacts than Egypt did (maybe they still do?). So much so, that Egypt entreated the Brits to begin repatriating or returning said artifacts back to their own country.

 

[Nathan-Drake0075]

Thank you everyone for your great thoughts! I'll follow these leads!

 

[Jason in Enid]

Great, you can go dig up bits of pot, and bone, and spend the rest of your life scraping the dirt off of dirt.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Charlie - you'd love the British Museum. Until fairly recently they had more Royal Egyptian mummies and artifacts than Egypt did (maybe they still do?). So much so, that Egypt entreated the Brits to begin repatriating or returning said artifacts back to their own country.

Sshheesskk. And to think archies get their panties in a wad, for md'rs carting off old stuff out-of-context.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Great, you can go dig up bits of pot, and bone, and spend the rest of your life scraping the dirt off of dirt.

Correct. There's a misconception that archies have some sort of "carte-blanche" and end up finding goodies that md'rs can't get. Actually, the type "hunting" that archies do, for the most part: We md'rs would find boring as heck. They dig up each square nails with tweezers and brushes. And then have to stop and log its GPS, write several paragraphs and take several photos of it. For them to do a 5 x 5 x 5 pit takes weeks. Whereas we md'rs hear a beep dig it up, and say "cool". Then put it on our mantle place where it rightfully belongs

 

[angelito1]

Why did the archaeologist go bankrupt? Because his career was in ruins.......

 

[smokeythecat]

Places like the National Archives of the United States anyone can visit, also the Library of Congress and I still think the Daughters of the American Revolution library in DC. I have gone to several local and state archives and have gained access with no issues, most things are public records. Same thing goes with local historical societies.

 

[16840138]

physical Anthropology is what you look for at the Universities.

 

[junkhunt]

Sshheesskk. And to think archies get their panties in a wad, for md'rs carting off old stuff out-of-context.

Me too.