Underwater archaeology (advice for an undergrad, please?)

[ArchaeologyJulia]

(Sorry if this doesn't fit here!)

I just finished up my first semester of college, and I now have a 3.641 GPA (but I'm aiming for a 3.8 overall). Because I have some AP credits, I'm going to be a sophmore next semester. I'm a double major, history and anthropology. I want to be an underwater archaeologist, but every time I look into it, prospects look bleak. I really want to get into this field, but I don't want to get a PhD and just sit on it. And that's assuming I can get into a graduate program at all...

I was wondering if anyone could provide some insight on this? Is it really as hard to come by jobs in underwater archaeology as I'm thinking, and is there anything I should do to increase my chances of getting into a good program?

[Allouette]

I'm prefacing this statement with a big ol' 'I know virtually nothing about archaeology', but have you looked into field courses or fieldwork? Having field experience is pretty standard for getting into graduate school in archaeology, from what i understand. And experience aside, field school or a course in underwater arch will probably expose you to people who know a lot about the field or who are in the field, who you can speak in-depth with about your prospects as an underwater archaeologist.

Another thing you might want to look into is academic associations/societies relevant to your interests. Even if you're not willing to join these associations quite yet, poking around their websites, their member directories, newsletters, etc, might give you a better idea of what underwater archeologists actually do after their degrees. 

And lastly, talk to your profs! Visit your anthro department! Even if there isn't anybody who specializes in what you want to study at your college, I'll bet my bottom dollar that they know a thing or two about it, and might even hook you up with a colleague who can answer your questions. 

[anthropologygeek]

There's a lot you can do with the phd in archeology with a specialty of underwater. You may concentrate yoursearch to schools with easy access to the ocean though

[rkg2012]

I don't do underwater archaeology, but I'll make a few suggestions:

* Get some experience (coursework and preferably fieldwork) with on land archaeology, since there is much more of that and there will be some overlap in theory and practice. The AIA (Archaeological Institute of America) has a good fieldwork bulletin (http://www.archaeological.org/fieldwork/afob), which has opportunities around the world. There seem to be a couple of underwater excavations in the Mediterranean. Also, www.archaeologyfieldwork.com and www.shovelbums.org have fieldwork opportunities. 

* Develop a regional/chronological specialty (or more like broad preference at the stage) - It's not necessary that your fieldwork is in the same area. (It may be cheaper to work near home or wherever someone from your university works).

* look at under water archaeology journals to find out who is doing what and where (e.g. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, The Bulletin of The Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (AIMA) and the recently launched Journal of Maritime Archaeology - pulled from wikipedia) - That might give you an idea of what schools you should think about applying to later.

* Google is your friend - I just found this site that seems to post jobs/opportunities including a summer internship: http://underwaterarchaeologyjobs.wordpress.com/

* I suspect having diving certification/experience would be a good thing.

Edited January 27, 2013 by rkg2012

[Armadilla]

I think Texas A&M has one of the strongest programs in the US. Although, I am not the best person to ask.

[TungstenChef]

I have a friend who goes to Texas A&M and tried out underwater archaeology training.  He started out with rescue diver certification, you'll see why that's desirable in a second.  Their scientific dive certification course consisted of traveling to Louisiana and simulating an archaeological "dig" on a sunken houseboat in a bayou.  They had to dive in 0 visibility with strong cross-currents.  They couldn't touch the boat, and they had to keep themselves and their fellow divers alive while doing their archaeology.  Day after day after day.  You have to be a physically strong individual who can recognize your limits and keep track of a lot of critical things at once.