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Overview

Archaeology is a multidisciplinary study of the material past. Archaeologists concern themselves with the physical remnants of ancient cultures and peoples. The things people use reveal much about their civilization, and this sort of revelation is the pursuit of archaeologists.The location of a discovered artifact, its historical context, what’s been found near and around it, and our knowledge of customs and traditions are of primary importance to archaeologists. Many describe Archaeology as “an anthropology of the past,” and this implies that the field is not just about the physical. Together these factors offer a picture of ancient times and places.

If you’re an Archaeology major, you’ll be dabbling in such fields as anthropology, classics, art history, history, and foreign languages. Many universities offer field programs all over the world, so you’ll be gaining field experience in, as well as knowledge of, many disciplines—a great major if you have an adventurous spirit and insatiable curiosity. You’re life as an Archaeology major probably won’t resemble Indiana Jones’s. It’s exact work: you’ll spend more time dusting off potsherds with a toothbrush in blistering sun than swinging from vines and killing evil Nazis. But you will be helping to tell the ever-evolving story of how human civilizations have developed, flourished, and ultimately failed.