Off Course? A Career in Archaeology Outside of the Academy

The field of archaeology is all too familiar with the changing nature of university education and the implications of these changes for faculty, students, and the field. “National Adjunct Walkout Day” took place on February 25, 2015 (Flaherty 2015), helping to draw further attention to the disparities of a system where secure and long-term positions are all too few, and administrations rely on low-paid graduate students whose futures are all too uncertain. As long as the major career goal of archaeologists continues to be work in a university setting, these problems are going to persist and worsen within the profession. The current situation is rife with irony. The fewer the students, the lower the need for faculty positions; yet, an increase in student numbers creates graduates for whom there may be no employment. Responsible faculty members are beginning to hesitate to encourage brilliant young scholars to enter the field. Clearly, one solution is to encourage graduates with archaeology degrees and skills to seek employment outside of the Academy. What are the challenges and pathways for achieving such a goal?First, disciplines like art history, anthropology, and archaeology would benefit from a redefinition of success and a rethinking of achieved status in the field. Many accomplished archaeologists who now work in what are often called “alternative” careers, like cultural resources management, geo-spatial analysis, and defense, will tell you that they sometimes feel like second-class citizens at academic meetings and conferences. Several years ago, at a meeting of anthropologists who work for the Department of Defense (DoD), an academic colleague remarked with surprise, “But wait a minute, you all have PhDs from tier-one schools!” Whether it is founded in truth or not, non-academic authors joke about their “applied” papers and sessions being scheduled for poorly attended late evening or early morning sessions of conferences. Even if it is only a perception, the profession needs to grapple with the commonly held belief that only colleagues who failed to secure a position in the Academy would ever consider an alternative career.In addition, sometimes academic colleagues ask those of us who work for defense and industry to defend the ethics of our career choices (Hamilakis 2009; Stone 2011). Many of these attitudes and questions are posed from positions of ignorance. There is no question that greater communication between archaeologists who work inside and outside of the Academy would be of benefit to everyone. I suspect that there are very few academic colleagues who know and appreciate the fact that some governmental cultural resources managers have secure jobs with the opportunity to intensively study large tracts of land with budgets that allow for annual field survey supported by state-of-the-art imagery, geographic information systems (GIS), and cutting-edge geophysics (Fig. 1). Archaeologists who work with industry and government agencies also have the opportunity to identify and protect thousands of significant archaeological sites, not just within the United States but overseas as well. In addition, archaeologists who work for federal agencies in the United States, especially DoD, have an opportunity to advocate for the rights of indigenous people. At Fort Drum, we have protected over 200 ancestral places, organized four Head of State visits between the 10th Mountain Division Command Group and Nation Leadership, signed one inadvertent discovery agreement, and organized access to ceremonial sites. At Fort Drum, the cultural resources manager is also the Native American affairs coordinator, and there is no question that it is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.So the question is, how do we communicate the existence of alternative professional opportunities to students, and how do we prepare them to be successful when those opportunities arise? This Forum certainly offers a good beginning. For work in the government, every archaeology student needs to be aware of the website USAJOBS. The job series code for government archaeologist is “0193.” A student looking for work should keep an up-to-date résumé in the system and should set the system to alert him/her when suitable openings are posted. A computer completes the first review in the government system, so it is important that if an applicant has the relevant experience, the vocabulary should match. So, for example, if the job says “digging experience” required, and your résumé says “excavation experience,” you might want to re-word your resume for that job submission accordingly. Note, though, that pasting complete job descriptions and requirements into your résumé to attempt to match this system is strongly discouraged. There are also many universities that work with the government in a cooperative agreement system. For example, Colorado State University's Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands often has job opportunities for archaeologists, and most of these jobs are affiliated with cultural resources management on military installations.Unfortunately, even in the government, there are not enough archaeology jobs to go around. However, archaeology students have a range of valuable skills and experience, and there are many career opportunities related to archaeology where these skills would be valued and used every day. A good archaeologist has excellent research skills; excellent writing skills; experience in solving logistical problems; cartography and possibly GIS training; usually has worked effectively as a team member; experience in field survey; is able to analyze aerial, satellite, and LiDAR imagery; may have laboratory skills and experience; is good at sorting and identifying objects; and may have experience working with technology like geophysical equipment. Every single one of these skills is extremely marketable. In addition, many good archaeologists have public speaking skills and experience, speak foreign languages fluently, and if they have survived and succeeded in graduate school—good political and diplomatic instincts. There are several ways to think about a skill set: first, in terms of its marketability; second, in terms of how an individual wishes to apply his/her skill set to contribute to society; and third, how skills can be recognized and applied effectively to help an individual be professionally successful.Tragically, as the twenty-first century unfolds, many areas of the world where archaeologists have first-hand experience and knowledge are deteriorating into conflict zones where the issues are complex and resolution will be years if not decades away. During the course of deploying to places like Afghanistan, the United States has learned a series of painful lessons related to the absence of expertise in mapping and imagery analysis. While planning for base expansion in Karezgay Province, Afghanistan, the engineers failed to recognize the indications of the presence of active karez in the aerial imagery (Phillips 2009). As of 2010, The Washington Post was reporting over 1,000 intelligence agencies in the United States working on issues of counter-terrorism and homeland security (Priest and Arkin 2010). There is no academic discipline that prepares people better to analyze an image for evidence of activity of people in the past, even the recent past, than archaeology. To meet current intelligence and military needs, federal mapping agencies are also beginning to recognize that traditional maps of infrastructure and geographic features are not sufficient to guide deploying military personnel through foreign zones. As current efforts to add cultural features to mapping projects continues, the archaeological skill set will increase in value as well. If the idea of working for defense seems difficult, it might be useful to look back on the history of the field. During past conflicts, archaeologists have served their own countries as well as adopted ones in a wide variety of ways, some even as spies. Susan Allen's book Classical Spies: American Archaeologists with the OSS in World War II Greece (2011) outlines service during World War II in great detail, beginning with the Nazi invasion of Greece. Sir Leonard Woolley established the entire British Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives officer program. He offered the first ever in-theater archaeology awareness training program on the ancient sites of Libya (Woolley 1947). A series of eminent art historians and archaeologists, some of whom were fellows of the American Academy in Rome, served in a similar capacity for the United States (Brey 2010). Tragically, deliberate targeting of cultural property during the conflicts of the twenty-first century may make the participation of archaeologists even more of a defense priority.There could potentially also be openings for archaeologists to work in the context of law enforcement. Archaeological methods are used in many forensic investigations. The process of mapping crime scenes and detailed methods for finding tiny bits of evidence is identical to laying out archaeological test investigation units. It is also becoming increasingly common for investigators and engineers to request geophysical assistance for not just crime scenes but also for structural surveys and assessments. For example, ground penetrating radar can be used to assess sink holes and drainage voids while metal detection is useful for finding small bits of evidence distributed over a wide area like bullet casings.Fortunately, archaeological skills apply in peaceful settings as well. Command of and experience with GIS is and will continue to be an extremely marketable commodity. GIS is being increasingly used, sometimes in unexpected ways, in all different types of municipal planning, engineering, research, and management projects. A GIS analyst position in a small engineering firm, agency, or municipality can lead very quickly back to an opportunity to use archaeological expertise. As soon as a project is underway, it is not unusual for the lead engineer, designer, or project proponent to call upon staff members who have special secondary skills. In fact, the archaeologist/GIS analyst may have been hired with the idea that the firm would be gaining two professionals in one. Surveying skills and credentials are also extremely useful in the engineering and municipal marketplace.In terms of the job search and life's journey, there are unexpected places and opportunities that the young archaeologist should consider. It might seem counter-intuitive, but sometimes there are outstanding opportunities to enter the field found in rural areas. Working for small institutions, businesses, or organizations presents outstanding first job prospects because they offer a wide range of experiences and problem solving opportunities. There are many rural areas in North America where engineering firms have difficulty finding reasonably priced archaeological expertise. The archaeology bill in small rural projects can sometimes make the difference between whether or not there are sufficient funds for families at the end of the line to receive water and/or sewer service during the course of a public works project. Rural areas are also excellent places to begin a career with a museum or historical agency. The salaries might be very low, but often living expenses will also be low, and sometimes these types of jobs offer lodging. The American Alliance of Museums' website is a very good place to look for advertisements for museum opportunities (http://www.aam-us.org/resources/careers) as is the American Association for State and Local History Career Center (http://about.aaslh.org/jobs/). Clearly, a willingness to move and live just about anywhere will be a huge advantage for this type of approach. If it does not appear that there are any paying opportunities available, consider a meaningful volunteer position. Should funding become available, it is not unusual at all for a volunteer who has demonstrated expertise and good interpersonal skills to be the person selected for a paying position. Sometimes, staff will work really hard to create a position in order to keep a valuable volunteer. It might even be possible for a volunteer to write and submit funding proposals for the purpose of creating a paid position or projects with financial support.Once an opportunity arises, the archaeology skill set can continue to contribute to a successful future. In addition to willingly gaining as much experience as possible, a new professional should be as creative and enthusiastic about applying skills to a range of new challenges. Rethink the range of skills and experience associated with a background in archaeology mentioned above: mapping, drawing, photography, surveying, logistical and organizational skills, foreign language, grant writing experience.... It makes sense to offer these assets as challenges arise, especially in a small multi-dimensional organization.Once a student or new employee has demonstrated his/her academic or experiential value in the workplace, personality and behavior will begin to make the difference. There are basic essentials for success in the workplace, and they include: avoiding arrogant behavior, demonstrating a solid work ethic and commitment to the workplace, and collegiality. Sadly, arrogance appears all too often in the profession of archaeology, but entry-level employees who designate themselves as too good for some tasks have a tendency to disappear from the workplace. Some of the most successful archaeologists in the field today were willing to clean the restrooms at their first assignments. One of the lead registrars at the Smithsonian began his career dressed up as a Minuteman, handing out pamphlets along the National Mall during the Bicentennial. In addition, arrogance prevents life-long learning. Some of the most arrogant archaeologists, in addition to being insufferable company, are steeped in defending pathetic ideas they adopted decades earlier. Great discoveries can only be made by open minds.A sound work ethic is a given: be on time, be willing to stay late, be willing to pick up a broom and do an extra task when you see the need, be willing to come in on a Saturday for that public program where all of the stressed parents in a 50-mile radius bring their active children. When given an assignment, follow through and take pride in completing it well. 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• The “War on Terror” and the Military–Archaeology Complex

  Open Access•Yannis Hamilakis•Archaeologies•2009

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