The Shovelbum Economy

Summary

It has long been common knowledge that “most” archaeologists attain gainful employment in Cultural Resource Management (CRM) related fields rather than in academic institutions. By and large there is an accepted idea of what such a career trajectory looks like- there are many archaeologists who have built successful careers in CRM while adding to scientific knowledge and policy, or who have built laudable businesses. The vast majority of those employed in CRM, however, are low-level field and laboratory technicians. What do their lives look like? Are they able to contribute to the body of archaeological knowledge or effect policy changes? Are they able to support themselves? Is there a general experience of upward mobility? To answer such questions, this paper will present data from a variety of sources, including new nation-wide survey data collected by the authors.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Realities on the Ground: Pasts, Presents, and Futures of the National Historic Preservation Act

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