Excited about Archaeology: Opportunities for Students at a 4-Year University

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Archaeology as a Public Good: Why Studying Archaeology Creates Good Careers and Good Citizens" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Despite rising tuition costs and decreasing budgets, students at 4-year public institutions still seek out opportunities to engage in archaeological fieldwork, laboratory and museum research, regardless of whether they plan to go on to graduate school in anthropology or to pursue careers outside of academia. An appreciation of cultural resources and environmental change over time serves students in good stead in a variety of career paths related to sustainability, environmental protection and cultural heritage. Students at 4-year undergraduate schools may have a difficult time finding the money and time to travel far for field school or internships, but offering projects close to home serves the dual purpose of gaining valuable experience attainable but also in helping to educate students about the cultural resources found in their immediate area. These experiences make the students more competitive if they plan to go to graduate school, but are also applicable outside of academia. The multidisciplinary nature of archaeological fieldwork and research coordinates with STEM, social sciences and humanities in a way that has the potential to enrich both the students as well as local communities, wherever they are located.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Archaeology as a Public Good: Why Studying Archaeology Creates Good Careers and Good Citizens

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 26315