Always wanted to be an explorer and archaeologist. At 7 years old I began studying Rocks & Minerals books, then onto artifacts. I used to go out and hunt for arrowheads and civil war artifacts. I learned Latin and Old Norse because I was into the Roman Empire and the Vikingr. I really went stupid throughout Jr High and High School. Drinking and pot smoking, constant partying, dropped out of school, became a travelling musician. Now, here I am, 30 years old, no Diploma or GED, unable to get into college and do something to fix the years I wasted.
It's never too late! I know of lots of archaeologists who came to it late, some of which had never gone to university. Maybe try some volunteering first and seeing where that gets you. Good luck!
And then there is my career, a translator specialising in archaeology. I do not have a degree in either field and am self-taught. Over my 2+ decade career, the science has changed. The field is now interdisciplinary. Cutting edge archaeology is going to be joint fields, like chemistry and archaeology. For example, your dissertation/article will be on an extreme chemical analysis of pottery fragments to determine the precise source of the materials and grog (matrix components). Or you might be working with advanced mathematics and geometry in order to precisely map the complex shape of vessels and the currents those shapes generate during pouring and carrying. (A couple of recent projects.) And you are likely to be working on your own, without much feedback from your peers. What skill are you going to need as an archaeologist? The ability to write a complex text for a scientific article. It is not just checking boxes on a list. And if you can write, what happens? You find a job editing the articles written by all those people who cannot write to save their lives or careers. Those are the people I interact with because the real archaeologists don't want to hear me tell them they have their facts wrong.
Officially Lithuanian to English but I have to work with any language that was ever spoken by someone here: Polish, Ruthenian, Russian, Belorussian, Ukrainian, German, Swedish, Turkish, Hebrew, Yiddish, Tatar, Spanish (Blue SS Division), etc. If I am lucky, they show me a picture and I have to figure out what the thing is called. If I am not lucky (most of the time), then they give me the Lithuanian word and I have to find my own picture. What do I mean by facts? Well, one recent argument in the last few years was convincing a client that Jesus only sat on the right hand side of God the Father and his image of a famous painting would have to be unflipped. How did I get into archaeology? Because it is only one field. A freelance translator does the same thing in many fields. It's fun telling a leading medical expert that they used the wrong technical word in Lithuanian when you have no medical training. (I won the argument.) So, when I saw a chance to specialise, I took it. @@Inside_Archaeology
I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was a kid. Did not have the support for it from my family. Bit too late now. Glad to see you are still passionate about the topic. Glad to see you are still here on youtube.
I started volunteering for the Colchester Archeological Trust in the finds room and I am starting at the University of Leicester this September reading Archeology.. But a couple of thoughts... There is a huge waiting list to volunteer at Colchester and I was lucky to break into it!.. I have seen so many people who would love to start an Archeology career by volunteering but can't get a start.. I have been lucky..
Opportunities are few and far apart.. and your face has to fit!.. I also understand that not many Archeology units have volunteer programs.. So again I am lucky to live in Colchester..
Through Volunteering I have learned a hell of a lot because I have gotten to know every Archaeologist in the City and can ask any questions that I can think off.. I have their ear!..
I really want to thank you for still uploading videos. The other day I came by a video of yours from many years ago, I checked out your channel and I subscribed right away. It’s just such a lovely thing to have someone sharing something they love so much, and do it well!! I’m 16, and trying to figure out exactly what I want to study amongst this world. I love archeology, but feel as if I’m not connected enough to the study other than Indiana Jones movies and a singular archeology kit for kids I was gifted last Christmas, one I treasure🦫 I’m really glad and happy to have found your channel. Thank you for uploading. Sometimes I remember your videos throughout the week and don’t remember the channel’s name, and think of you as ‘the cool archeologist girl from TH-cam’. Thank you, cool archeologist girl from TH-cam🔎📜
I know this video was posted a little while ago but I'm currently doing my archaeology undergrad degree at Uoft and I'm wondering about how I should get as much field experience as possible, I have the opportunity to do a 6 week field school in my 3rd year but I'm not sure if that would be enough to get a job in Ontario😭
6 weeks is better than no weeks! You could always try to get a field tech job in the summers while you're out of school, then you get to work and field experience and then get full time work when you graduate. There are firms working out of Toronto, I would reach out and see if they can give you any advice. Good luck!
Hii... currently I'm pursuing my master's degree in Archaeology (University of Mysore,India) I wanna work as an Archaeologist over countries...but I have no idea about the procedures and all i really need a guide to help me out! Can you please suggest me a way...and I'm also ready to do field works under senior archaeologist...
Hi, as i say in teh video it can be difficult to work in other countries because you need a visa and places tend to hire locals who speak the language, etc. I suggest you watch my video with Disha Ahluwahlia, an Indian archaeologist to gain more insight on what options might be available to you.
Nah I have no degree and I been given permission to do a heritage investigation in canada and if I can prove the site is in enough danger I'll be allowed to lead an excavation this is not something you should NEED a degree for but you should always be able and required to prove your knowledge of the site, surrounding area, people and of course the process if you can at least prove you won't destroy or wreck anything you should be OK
That's interesting to know, what part of Canada are you in? Where I worked, Ontario, a dig needs to be led/done by someone with a license, which you can get via having the right qualification or an archaeologist mentoring you. My understanding is that if a site is in danger of destruction due to development in Canada they'd be required to have an archaeological company do the work on it?
@Inside_Archaeology you'd think so and at first they DID deny it but I just idk made the right arguments in favor of for example I argued that because of this area being in a heavy rock and mud slide area and it being extremely common for people to loot it it was in extreme danger and (and this is the main argument I made) that if you wouldn't let me do it for the protection of the site then send someone and I got an email the next day saying basically "yea you got a point go for it man"
Fair enough, a degree is the most common way across all countries that people get that knowledge, but as I say in the video its not the only pathway. As I said I have worked with people who have gained their expertise vocationally, but I world day that's maybe 5-10% of the archaeologists I've come across.
@Inside_Archaeology you just gotta have the drive and passion the site I'm looking into is a mining town so I'd say it's pretty bottom of the ladder it's definately not Egypt lol and besides this career no offense to any of us in the field but this career DID start out as a rich man's hobby for the most part
Always wanted to be an explorer and archaeologist. At 7 years old I began studying Rocks & Minerals books, then onto artifacts. I used to go out and hunt for arrowheads and civil war artifacts. I learned Latin and Old Norse because I was into the Roman Empire and the Vikingr. I really went stupid throughout Jr High and High School. Drinking and pot smoking, constant partying, dropped out of school, became a travelling musician. Now, here I am, 30 years old, no Diploma or GED, unable to get into college and do something to fix the years I wasted.
It's never too late! I know of lots of archaeologists who came to it late, some of which had never gone to university. Maybe try some volunteering first and seeing where that gets you. Good luck!
You can always get your GED.
True on all accounts.💕
And then there is my career, a translator specialising in archaeology. I do not have a degree in either field and am self-taught. Over my 2+ decade career, the science has changed. The field is now interdisciplinary. Cutting edge archaeology is going to be joint fields, like chemistry and archaeology. For example, your dissertation/article will be on an extreme chemical analysis of pottery fragments to determine the precise source of the materials and grog (matrix components). Or you might be working with advanced mathematics and geometry in order to precisely map the complex shape of vessels and the currents those shapes generate during pouring and carrying. (A couple of recent projects.) And you are likely to be working on your own, without much feedback from your peers. What skill are you going to need as an archaeologist? The ability to write a complex text for a scientific article. It is not just checking boxes on a list. And if you can write, what happens? You find a job editing the articles written by all those people who cannot write to save their lives or careers. Those are the people I interact with because the real archaeologists don't want to hear me tell them they have their facts wrong.
That sounds like a really interesting job! What languages do you work in? How did you end up specialising in archaeological translation?
Officially Lithuanian to English but I have to work with any language that was ever spoken by someone here: Polish, Ruthenian, Russian, Belorussian, Ukrainian, German, Swedish, Turkish, Hebrew, Yiddish, Tatar, Spanish (Blue SS Division), etc. If I am lucky, they show me a picture and I have to figure out what the thing is called. If I am not lucky (most of the time), then they give me the Lithuanian word and I have to find my own picture. What do I mean by facts? Well, one recent argument in the last few years was convincing a client that Jesus only sat on the right hand side of God the Father and his image of a famous painting would have to be unflipped.
How did I get into archaeology? Because it is only one field. A freelance translator does the same thing in many fields. It's fun telling a leading medical expert that they used the wrong technical word in Lithuanian when you have no medical training. (I won the argument.) So, when I saw a chance to specialise, I took it.
@@Inside_Archaeology
Best Archaeologist on youtube!!!!!!
Thank you!
Awwww, I like it when you give a strong, "Bye!!"
I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was a kid. Did not have the support for it from my family. Bit too late now. Glad to see you are still passionate about the topic. Glad to see you are still here on youtube.
It's never too late! Could always look into volunteering on a dig or at a museum!
I started volunteering for the Colchester Archeological Trust in the finds room and I am starting at the University of Leicester this September reading Archeology..
But a couple of thoughts...
There is a huge waiting list to volunteer at Colchester and I was lucky to break into it!.. I have seen so many people who would love to start an Archeology career by volunteering but can't get a start.. I have been lucky..
Opportunities are few and far apart.. and your face has to fit!..
I also understand that not many Archeology units have volunteer programs.. So again I am lucky to live in Colchester..
Through Volunteering I have learned a hell of a lot because I have gotten to know every Archaeologist in the City and can ask any questions that I can think off.. I have their ear!..
Breaking out of the finds room can be as difficult as getting in!..
I really want to thank you for still uploading videos. The other day I came by a video of yours from many years ago, I checked out your channel and I subscribed right away. It’s just such a lovely thing to have someone sharing something they love so much, and do it well!!
I’m 16, and trying to figure out exactly what I want to study amongst this world. I love archeology, but feel as if I’m not connected enough to the study other than Indiana Jones movies and a singular archeology kit for kids I was gifted last Christmas, one I treasure🦫
I’m really glad and happy to have found your channel. Thank you for uploading. Sometimes I remember your videos throughout the week and don’t remember the channel’s name, and think of you as ‘the cool archeologist girl from TH-cam’.
Thank you, cool archeologist girl from TH-cam🔎📜
Thanks for such a thoughtful comment! Always good to know my content is making a positive impact.
Thank you so much for a well made video that gives us so much information! Keep up the great work Rachel!!
Thank you! Will do!
This was very helpful. I am looking to volunteer once I retire, which will be in a couple of months.
Best of luck!
Cool😊
Thanks!
Welcome!
Good video
Thanks!
I know this video was posted a little while ago but I'm currently doing my archaeology undergrad degree at Uoft and I'm wondering about how I should get as much field experience as possible, I have the opportunity to do a 6 week field school in my 3rd year but I'm not sure if that would be enough to get a job in Ontario😭
6 weeks is better than no weeks! You could always try to get a field tech job in the summers while you're out of school, then you get to work and field experience and then get full time work when you graduate. There are firms working out of Toronto, I would reach out and see if they can give you any advice. Good luck!
Hii... currently I'm pursuing my master's degree in Archaeology (University of Mysore,India) I wanna work as an Archaeologist over countries...but I have no idea about the procedures and all i really need a guide to help me out! Can you please suggest me a way...and I'm also ready to do field works under senior archaeologist...
Hi, as i say in teh video it can be difficult to work in other countries because you need a visa and places tend to hire locals who speak the language, etc. I suggest you watch my video with Disha Ahluwahlia, an Indian archaeologist to gain more insight on what options might be available to you.
i just wanna job that pays me to dig n find history while i sing diggy diggy hole diggy diggy hole in my head =) also you are very smart=)
Nah I have no degree and I been given permission to do a heritage investigation in canada and if I can prove the site is in enough danger I'll be allowed to lead an excavation this is not something you should NEED a degree for but you should always be able and required to prove your knowledge of the site, surrounding area, people and of course the process if you can at least prove you won't destroy or wreck anything you should be OK
That's interesting to know, what part of Canada are you in? Where I worked, Ontario, a dig needs to be led/done by someone with a license, which you can get via having the right qualification or an archaeologist mentoring you. My understanding is that if a site is in danger of destruction due to development in Canada they'd be required to have an archaeological company do the work on it?
@Inside_Archaeology you'd think so and at first they DID deny it but I just idk made the right arguments in favor of for example I argued that because of this area being in a heavy rock and mud slide area and it being extremely common for people to loot it it was in extreme danger and (and this is the main argument I made) that if you wouldn't let me do it for the protection of the site then send someone and I got an email the next day saying basically "yea you got a point go for it man"
@Inside_Archaeology I'm essentially making the argument that you shouldn't NEED a diploma just the proper knowledge and skill and proof thereof
Fair enough, a degree is the most common way across all countries that people get that knowledge, but as I say in the video its not the only pathway. As I said I have worked with people who have gained their expertise vocationally, but I world day that's maybe 5-10% of the archaeologists I've come across.
@Inside_Archaeology you just gotta have the drive and passion the site I'm looking into is a mining town so I'd say it's pretty bottom of the ladder it's definately not Egypt lol and besides this career no offense to any of us in the field but this career DID start out as a rich man's hobby for the most part