Hi everyone

[Joe]

Just found this place and have been poking around reading all the interesting stuff, great site.
I'm 23 and going to uni in September to study archaeology and ancient history, i've not actually noticed anyone mention anything but archaeology courses though -am i wasting my time with the ancient history or do you think it would come in handy job-wise?
I've done 2 modules of distance learning with the uni already so i know a little about the basics of archaeology, its just the practical side of it i know stuff-all about.
I've loved history and archaeology for longer than i can remember, so i'm looking forward to life down a hole.

P.s, Every archaeologist i've seen on tv wears a highly suspect rainbow coloured jumper. Is this for safety reasons?

[Curator Kid]

Hi Joe. I did history - very handy. Teaches you loads of useful skills - how to examine your evidence clearly, how to recognise opinions from facts, the importance of primary sources over secondary ones, how to write properly, how to assimilate data and come to your own conclusions, etc. The list goes on. These are all skills that will stand you in good stead for any career - not just in archaeology.

Stripey jumpers are common, but not compulsory in archaeology. However having a beard, smoking roll-up cigarettes, reading the Guardian and drinking excessively are. :)

[rachstebbs]

And thats just us women...;)

[Joe]

lol, good to hear history will be useful as well as interesting. Also good to hear that the jumpers are not compulsory, as for the beard -give me a few days, never read the Guardian in my life, and i always seem to ruin my roll-ups at the 'now twist it' stage when it goes off like a grenade and i'm picking bits of tobacco out of my ear for weeks.
What was i going to ask.... oh yeah. This course i'm going to do is 3 years or 4 years with one year in Rome, would the expense of that extra year be worth it in terms of experience do you think? Plus in the last year you get to choose methodological courses, i was just wondering what they are as uni just said 'human bone analysis, ceramics ect', whats the 'ect'?
And despite reading more and more bad things about being an archaeologist, i am still lookin forward to life down a hole.

[disheartened]

Definitely go to Rome. It will be an extra expense, but it's a fantastic chance, if you can afford it GO! It's just soooo historical!!! And sunny. And fab. And full of good food. Mmmmmm...

No idea what the methodological courses would be like, really depends on the direction of the deparment and staff. In good ole Bradford, we did first year courses on ceramics, bone, lithics, metals, focussing on general stuff like how do you identify something, general characteristics, what do you do with it when you find, what you can find out from them and so on. Also we did some basic surveying, photography, drawing and so on. If they're in your final year they may be more detailed or less.

[rachstebbs]

"Definitely go to Rome. It will be an extra expense, but it's a fantastic chance, if you can afford it GO! It's just soooo historical!!! And sunny. And fab. And full of good food. Mmmmmm..."

I second that!!! At "good ole Bradford" you also get the chance to do a placement year, I'm in sunny Malta! It is costing a fortune, but the food and the sun are excellent...as is the archaeology!! Anything that can boost the CV before you graduate is always worthwhile, even if you end up out of pocket!
Where abouts you going to uni?
Rachel

[Joe]

I'm going to Leicester uni which i hear is pretty good, and handy seeing as i live in leicester already. Always wanted to go to Rome at some point anyway so i guess it will be even handier to do some work there, just means i'll have to take more plumbing jobs when i get time off from uni to finance it. And despite what the papers say, the only thing good about plumbing is that its hardened me to spending 8 hours a day in a trench in the snow with water up to my knees. Think i need to look into that Malta placement Rachel!

[wombat]

i did the very same degree at leicester (some years ago now). Definitely agree that the history element can be useful, if you get to the stage in your career where you are writing reports and doing all the associated background research. Plus if you're interested in it then thats the most important thing.
Also definitely got to Rome. It may be your last chance to do some decent archaeology. Romanist or not, i'm sure anyone would much rather be uncovering mosiacs than digging an undated gully in a hailstorm....

[Curator Kid]

quote:Originally posted by wombat

Romanist or not, i'm sure anyone would much rather be uncovering mosiacs than digging an undated gully in a hailstorm....


Having done both, I can confirm that sunny mosaic uncovering is much more rewarding than the undated gully hailstorm experience.

[Joe]

Thanks for the replies everyone, i was wondering about something though; experimental archaeology.
I read about the lost wax method of bronze casting recently and thought i'd give it a go. I made a furnice type setup and melted 9 parts copper with 1 part tin then poured into a pyramid shaped mould i made (thought i'd start simple), and its come out pretty good, for a first attempt that is. I've always liked trying to remake things from the past and i wondered if there were many prospects in this field?
The one bonus i have is that i'm good with my hands, and prefer experimenting with designs rather than installing heating systems as i do at the moment.

[troll]

Greetings Joe-
Looks like you`ve got a bag full of skills to bring with you! Whatever you do-you have to dig in Rome.Even if it means being whipped hourly and wearing shoes full of broken glass.Dig in Rome!:DOver the last few years I`ve quickly learnt that some undergrad field schools have been in some pretty sexy places-mine was on the Isle of Man.Nowt wrong with that I know but come on...Bulgaria, South America, Jerusalem, Jordan...


..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)[:p]