THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 8, 1994 TAG: 9407070091
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MONIQUE WILLIAMS, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
LENGTH: Long : 123 lines
INDIANA JONES, the archaeologist who outruns boulders, jumps cliffs, navigates snake pits and escapes villains without as much as a scratch, would, in real life, make a dreadful one.
Not that he doesn't have the passion to be an archeologist. But the way Indiana knocks around statues and valuable relics would give a real archaeologist a coronary.
Archaeology - the science of recovering material evidence such as tools and utensils from man's past life and the study of the evidence - is a career that requires patience, a respect for our past and at least six years of college.
``It's just something that really fascinates me - learning about ourselves, our roots and our beginnings,'' said Rowena Federico, 17, a 1994 graduate of Tallwood High who plans to study archeology at James Madison University.
The same things attracted 26-year-old Janet Watson to the field.
``I think that it's very important to study our past, to know where we coming from,'' said Janet an archaeology and anthropology student at Old Dominion University.
Janet, a Virginia Beach resident, says that she always had interest in other cultures. A professor at ODU influenced her decision to pursue archeology as a career. From him she learned about hunting and gathering societies as examples of communal living.
``Older cultures have so much depth and richness,'' she said, ``and we can learn so much from them.''
Janet's interest doesn't only lie in the physical relics of past cultures but also in how they interacted socially, what kind of political system they had and what role gender played.
This attraction to foreign cultures recently took her to Kenya on a scholarship where she spent nine months at Kenyatta University in Nairobi. Wanting to immerse herself in the local culture, she joined a traditional folk dance club where she learned African dances and even studied Swahili.
Becoming an archaeologist or anthropologist (the two sciences are often combined) is a long and arduous road with a less-than-secure future.
``They have to love it,'' said Sue Kent, associate professor of anthropology at ODU.
To get there, a bachelor's of arts degree is just a start. A master's degree is required to get any kind of work.
``It doesn't hurt to have a Ph.D,'' said Mark Meister, executive director of the Archaeological Institute of America, a Boston, Mass.-based, non-profit professional organization.
Of the 7,000 working archaeologists in the U.S., most are employed by branches of the federal government such as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and state and local governments.
``There are limited museum jobs and teaching jobs,'' Meister said.
Other work is available with private organizations that build roads and bridges and are required to hire archaeologists before they begin their work. But this type of work is temporary and limited.
Many archaeologists teach and go to digs only while on sabbaticals or during their summer vacations.
ODU's Kent, for example, specializes in ethno-archeology. She studies sedentary communities that used to be nomadic. She teaches year-round but this summer, she is in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa living with the natives and studying the impact a sedentary lifestyle has on their health.
Archaeology, Kent said, isn't limited to geographical areas like Egypt, Israel or the American Southwest where archeologist unearth objects like pottery, household items and even garbage. That's just part of the larger picture. Today's archaeologists study people, plant and animal life and social issues like a people's shift from nomadic to sedentary lifestyles.
But a lot of schooling isn't the only requirement to become an archaeologist - there are plenty of crucial character traits and physical attributes.
One must have a natural curiosity that tempts you to dig into everything. And you must not care that you're standing in 100 degree heat (in the shade) while doing it.
``The job must come with a warning,'' Kent said, ``and it should say, `Must not mind getting dirty and dusty.' ''
Janet, the ODU student, is spending the summer on a dig in New Mexico and she is taking three things with her: her tent, her sleeping bag and her hiking boots.
Sound like a great job? Sleeping under the stars, going to remote places are the perks. Getting dirty, putting up with heat, insects and snakes might seem a small inconvenience for an exciting life.
But what are the chances of getting a job after six years of college?
``They are usually unemployed,'' Kent said. ``They go on for long time with part-time jobs. . . sometimes for years.''
The key to employment, Meister said, is specialty. Since the larger employer is the federal government - specializing in American pre-historic and aboriginal history will get you a job faster than specializing in foreign history. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MORT FRYMAN/Staff
Janet Watson, 26, an archaeology and anthropology student at Old
Dominion University, has always had an interest in other cultures.
FILE PHOTOS
Many archaeologist teach and go to digs only while on sabbaticals or
during their summer vacations.
Graphics
THE SCHOOLS
Most colleges have combined degrees for archaeology - sometimes
with anthropology or history.
The only school that has a pure archaeology department is Boston
University in Massachusetts.
START EARLY
If you like to dig in your fingers before you dig in your heels,
archeological field work is available this summer to teenagers 16
and older in nine Virginia locations including Richmond, Mount
Vernon and Williamsburg.
A book published by the Archaeological Institute of America
called ``The Archaeological Field Bulletin'' lists digs throughout
the nation. To get the book, check your local library or call the
publisher at 1-800-228-0810.
by CNB