Becoming an archaeologist requires great focus and determination. Archeology is not just a science, but a social science as well. Depending on your specific interest determines what kind of archeology you wish to pursue.
To become an archaeologist requires a number of years in university, completing a bachelor with honours degree in Archeology or anthropology with a focus on ethnography and culture, then a masters and a Ph.D. You also need field experience and should sign up for excavations whenever you can. This can take a number of years to complete, so I would suggest starting right out of high school.
Archeology also requires an extensive knowledge of history, biology and chemistry. Many archaeologists are also versed in ‘mythological’ texts like Homer’s Iliad, for they may lead to discoveries of actual ancient worlds. Biology and more importantly chemistry aid the archaeologist in carbon dating and other methods of chemically dating artifacts. Sciences are very important in Archeology, unlike ethnography. If you cannot grasp chemistry, I would suggest looking at the more geographical and cultural side of archeology. The study of Linguistics is important when studying the evolution of language and deciphering ancient texts. Geography is very important as well since Archaeologists are very specific in mapping out possible excavation areas, and geographic history is just as vitally important.
Getting high grades in university is very important when deciding to pursue archeology as a career path. Some of the best universities in Canada for archeology include: The University of Lethbridge and Calgary in Alberta, which can double as field experience for excavations, The university of British Columbia and Fraser University in British Columbia which offer graduate degrees, Brandon university in Manitoba, the University of Toronto and Wilfred Laurier University in Ontario, and University of Saskatchewan.
Often active professors will invite a limited number of students to partake in summer excavations, sometimes overseas. High marks can better your chance at becoming one of those students.
To also prepare for this career, you should visit many museums with focuses on anthropology and archeology to help you decide on an area of expertise. Some areas include:
Africa
Egypt
Meso-America
Classical Greece and Rome
Ancient Turkey
Eastern Europe
Western Europe
Asia
Once you finish your degree (and you can work as an archaeologist with just a bachelor or college diploma, you just won’t be writing dissertations and books or ‘lead’ excavations) you can get a job with an educational institute that can aid your ability to gain experience. Be prepared to get dirty, for archeology is hard, physical labour.
