"Archeologist"

[prostreet66]

"Archeologist"

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum. I have a question, and after reading some of the posts, I figured this is the place to ask it. My question is this: What does it take to be a legal archeologist? Is there a degree in archeology, or do you need a degree in history or something like that? I am a student at Rutgers and I am about to recieve my degree in Mechanical Engineering. Could I use that to be considered an archeologist? Speaking hypothetically, what would it take for me to go to the Keys, or the caribbean, or an equivelent region and look for / excavate a sunken ship? Remember, I am only speaking hypothetically. Can I look regardless of status, or do I have to be an "archeologist" to just look? Is there a official set of rules pertaining to this kind of stuff. It seems there are a lot of well educated, upstanding people of this site, so any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

Russ

 

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[grizzly bare]

Re: "Archeologist"

RUTGERS!!
Mechanical Engineering!

BIG CONGRATS.

grizzly bare

 

[Stroover]

Re: "Archeologist"

You would need to be enroled in a university that offers anthropology, archaeology type courses and make it your major. Some of your engineering electives could be used towards your archaeology degree. Once you got your PhD (or in some cases you might be able to get away with a masters) you would be considered an archaeologist. In order to excavate a site, you then would need to request a field research license from the local government in order to proceed with diving the wreck. Depending on where the wreck is, you may or may not receive permission, depending on who owns the waters. Might be different in the USA. Here in Canada, it's possible to find loop-holes in the laws and get away with snooping around shipwrecks, as long as they are not historic/protected sites and as long as the sites are not destroyed with machinery (in other words, keep a low profile). You'd also have to make sure the area you intend to work has no treasure trove laws/acts, and if they do, study them thouroughly as some cases you may be permitted to find and declare treasure to the government and receive a finder's fee, whereas in other cases you are forbidden to even search for treasure according to the act.

Hope this helps.

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

Re: "Archeologist"

Pro,

try

http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/anthro/dlcfaq.html

have a good un.............

 

[Stroover]

Re: "Archeologist"

Actually, you should maybe pm jip6. He might know a lot about that kind of thing since he works for a dive company who works sunken ships.

 

[mariner]

Re: "Archeologist"

Prostreet,

You'll be getting us mechanical engineers a bad name asking a dumb question like "can you call yourself an archaeologist because of your degree in mechanical engineering?" Do you think you can use your mechanical engineering degree to practice medicine? And how would you feel about driving a car or an aircraft whose mechanical features were designed by a person whose training was in social sciences?

I can't help thinking you are taking the mickey here, rather than asking a serious question.

Mariner

 

[FISHEYE]

Re: "Archeologist"

First off you dont need to be a archeologist to look for treasure or wrecks,you just need the proper permits from the state or country and reasearch and a location to start,if you happen to find something then you can just hire or partner up with a shipwreck archie to do whatever you and the state or country requires.your mech degreee may help with the a/c on a boat,maybe you should decide now to change your major.or stick with the mech degree since they usally make alot of money which you will need to look for treasure an if you find it you will need alot more maybe even investors.but then the pie gets smaller.

 

[Darren in NC]

Re: "Archeologist"

Hello C,

I hope you're not too hated in this forum. There are two types of archaeologists - those who collaborate with salvagers so all can enjoy history. Then there are those who blanket all salvagers as "looters" and would never work with any.

Of course, there are two types of thunters, too. The looters who deserve their reputation and those who work very hard with the state and historical groups to recover artifacts in a responsible manner.

I assume by your presence on this forum, you are the type of archie we all wouldn't mind working with

All the best,
Darren

 

[Darren in NC]

Re: "Archeologist"

C,

If you don't mind, tell us about your experience and history with artifact recovery. You may have posted this elsewhere, so tell me what link to go to if need be. I see you're in Florida. What's going on your way?

Thanks,
Darren

 

[AA23]

Re: "Archeologist"

Conservator im right there with you, in a few years i will be attending college and i hope to recieve at least my MA in Archaeology and then go on to work with salvagers and THer's. Thats my dream anyways.

 

[xXx]

Re: "Archeologist"

Darren,
Seems we have found, first hand together, that there are Archaeologists who are very seriously against "Treasure Hunters" and then there's those who are "Treasure Hunters" with a degree to make it legal. Fortunately there are private courses some State Archaeologists offer to train those of us interested in "doing the right thing" the basics of recovery and conservation and may offer those who complete the course to work voluntarily on their projects.
xXx
P.S. here's to being "back in the hunt" again.

 

[MrTideman]

Re: "Archeologist"

Yup, two types of treasure hunters too, reference the Treasure Net stories here about some supposed good-guy of: Dennis Standefer of now: Miami, Florida? http://www.prweb.com/releases/2002/5/prweb38208.htm ) and that of his $ financier, Steven Morgan, the supposed bad-buy, but see: http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1999/June-27-Sun-1999/news/114357822.html exposing Stanefer as a con artist! [note: for this review see page #1 at http://www.google.com for: "Dennis Standefer" in quotes, I tried finding the typo in my preview but it "is" as printed].

From what I've read, this Standefer of DeepSea Recovery Corp. was supposed to have paid $10,000 http://www.treasurenet.com/forum/shipwrecks/messages/1002524.shtml to some either public or private archivists such as that "private research historical society" http://www.treasurenet.com/forum/shipwrecks/messages/1002526.shtml for the exact location of "over 1,000 shipwrecks in the Philippines". http://www.treasurenet.com/forum/shipwrecks/messages/1002522.shtml to further what he learned as part of the Mel Fisher crew in 1989, somehow meeting up with Fred Takaki who discovered the Awa Maru in 1986, and Pacific SeaQuest, gaining 33 permits from the government there and possession of some 2,000 coins therefrom given to Mr. Morgan in exchange for his $25,000-option money to go find investors to help recover this $500 million sunken ship treasure in 100-foot waters, but buried under 30-feet of sand, the story goes that when the option expired, Morgan, with connections to some thugs in the gov't there, and "hired mercenaries" from an ad "in Soldier of Fortune magazine", http://www.treasurenet.com/forum/shipwrecks/messages/1002549.shtml made sure that when Standefer's visa expired that he be dealt with accordingly by the "new" administration: supposedly operating on bribes, rather than that 75% share that was supposed to go to the gov't by their local laws, [reminds me of that Rohas case of the diamonds in the golden budda found by him, but ruffed over by the Marcos guards, as reported about on Rbt. Stack's "Unsolved Mysteries" T.V. program].

--See also: http://www.treasurenet.com/forum/shipwrecks/messages/1002528.shtml and http://lists.asu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0212&L=sub-arch&T=0&F=&F=&S=&P=8544

--Anyways, back to the archeological, the Treasure Net #1002549 above does mention that this Steve Morgan, "fancies himself a modern-day Indiana Jones" and "helps under funded archaeoligest gain knowledge then he helps him get what can be filmed and sold." So the PROOF of such is WHAT film? __________ Anybody here know the title of such, that maybe could be highlighted on the next Josh Bernstein program of "Digging for the Truth" on The History Channel?

--And is there really, re: the Treasure Net #1002526, a private research historical society, with "a room the size of an airport hanger...(as) the final repository of all the plans of ships built by the US Navy"? and what of these archivists selling information? Surely there must be other projects to work on in other more friendly countries whose administrations remain stable and don't yank your visa when you discover something and can't take it to the next step! What? A gov't trick used in #x countries?

Yours truly, "MrTideman", an Excavation Techician I (one summer under a state University work here in the States, but more of looking for Indian arrow heads on land), and re: this discussion today, based upon my seeing that Timecop TV series on the Sci-Fi channel yesterday of The "Lost Voyage" (1998) from 1-2:00 p.m. with co-star Melora Hardin as "Edith Thomas" the reporter on the RMH Empress of Britain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Empress_of_Britain_(1931) with Reference note to Nigel Pickford's 1999 book: "Lost Treasure Ships of the Twentieth Century", ISBN 0792274725 listing this Ana Maru that I had never heard of before, the major ones listed there of: The Republic, Titanic, and Lusitania, etc.