Essay, Research Paper: Archaeology

Lingenfelter 1 YurchisinEnglish 102-2119 February, 1999Archaeology Have you ever wanted to search the world for lost civilizations? The study of archaeology is practiced around the world. The field of archaeology is a fascinating career for both amateurs and professionals. A career in archaeology is very exciting, which offers travel, study, and the chance to discover the past. Sitting at a desk in a cubicle is a boring job. Jobs should include travel, diversity, involvement, and learning. Having a job that offers places to travel such as Africa or Europe is very exciting. Seeing different cultures and working in different environments makes a good job. Working outside is better than sitting inside an office because it gives more sense of freedom. A job should be challenging, but also a learning experience as well. Learning and discovering on the job is better than knowing little and doing the same thing everyday. Exciting fun careers embody people who enjoy their work and perform their best. If a career includes travel, diversity, involvement, and learning it's a great profession. Archaeology is a good job because it involves traveling the world in search of past history. Brian M. Fagan author of the book, "The Adventure of Archaeology" states, "Archaeology touches every era and every part of the world- from 3.6 million year-old hominid foot prints in Africa to Roman shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea"(14). Working on an archaeological excavation site in the middle of the African Savannah is more exciting than working at any desk. Archaeology is studied all over the world crossing many different cultures. Lingenfelter 2From the pyramids in Egypt to the American Indian burial mounds, archaeology is career that crosses many areas of the world. Instead of sitting at a boring desk archaeologists work, eat, and sleep around the work site. Bill McMillon author of the book, "The Archaeology Handbook" states, "Participants on a archaeological excavation generally sleep in tents, and eat food prepared in soup kitchens"(31). At work archaeologists often spend their nights listening to lectures and studying new techniques on ways to excavate the site. Traveling to a site and camping there for weeks at a time is better than any job. Archaeology is a good career because it involves learning and hands on experiences. Learning something new every day is very exciting. Learning and studying past civilizations is very challenging for archaeologists. All archaeologists have the same goal, to preserve the past. McMillon states, "they are attempting to reconstruct the life and culture of previous civilizations through the study of objects that past societies have left behind"(10). Archeologists have made many discoveries about our origins and ancestors, which helps us learn about the past. The study of past history is very interesting. McMillon cites, "An archaeologist is able to bring something back into the life and culture of our society"(13).
Another reason why archaeology is a good career is because it's very diverse. Archaeologists study many different things all depending on what they find. Archaeologists usually uncover lost artifacts and information on past civilizations. In the field an Archeologist has many different jobs. Jobs include digging, recording and photographing. This process is long because each excavation takes time. McMillon states, "all members of the expedition perform their assigned tasks in a conscientious manner"(34). Everything an archaeologist does is an importance to the overall excavation. Always having something to do is what makes archaeology a good job. A career in archaeology offers travel, diversity, Lingenfelter 3 Why should someone pursue a career in archaeology? Fagan states, "Every archaeologist hopes to feel, sooner or later, that sense of discovery-and yet, for many, the find may be nothing more that a few grains of fossil pollen, or a bit of graffiti on an ancient wall"(9). When people think of archaeology they think of Indiana Jones discovering the Arc of the Covenant. Although archaeology brings to it a sense of romance and adventure in reality it's a lot of hard work. Archeologists spend months excavating a site. In the end when the research is done and all the artifacts and history is discovered there is a feeling of great accomplishment. Fagan cites, "archaeology has evolved from a glorified treasure hunt to a scientific study of human cultures in the past"(9). Imagine if you discovered an ancient city, or found lost treasure while working. Archaeology is a job that is very interesting and very challenging this is why one should pursue this career. Overall archaeology is a career which is challenging, but exciting at the same time. Traveling into the past and uncovering ancient treasures is all in a day's work for an archaeologist. Archaeologists have discovered many things important to our culture. These discoveries teach people how past civilizations once lived. Learning on the job is exciting and fun. Many jobs don't offer an experience such as archaeology. Archaeologists have a sense of adventure and compassion for their job because it's like no other. Archaeology is a career that is very diverse. From exploring underwater fossils in the ocean to digging up lost cities in exotic places, archaeology is a fascinating experience. A career in archaeology offers excitement, travel, and a chance to uncover the lost history of our ancestors. Lingenfelter 4Works Cited Fagan, Brian. The Adventure of Archaeology. Washington D.C., 1985. McMillon, Bill. The Archaeology Handbook. New York, 1991.