Archaeological Technician Certification Programs?

[Nick Setten]

Does anybody have any experience with any of these types of programs, particularly on the West Coast? A new one cropped up at the U of I in Moscow, and I've been thinking of applying, but I have oh so many questions...is it a useful course of study? Is it wasted if all I have is a Bachelors in Ancient History? Does anyone have any insight they might be willing to share?

[Alan Kirkland]

While I have no experience of them, I would look at such a thing with a more than critical eye. The "certification" for being adn archaeological field technician has always been the completion of an accredited undergraduate program in anthropology or archaeology. This coupled with field school experience, is usually what new people take with them going into their first job in the private sector. If you have a degree in Ancient History, but really want to do field archaeology, then I would look into attending a field school through an accredited program via a university. there's dozens listed on the ShovelBums website.

I can't really see how being a field 'technician' (Fed-speak for "archaeologist-not-paid-enough") could be something that, like welding, could be handled through any kind of certification program. There's a great deal more to 'doing' field archaeology than just digging holes in the right places and walking through the woods. That's why one generally goes through an undergraduate program of training, which culminates in the BA; voila! Les certificate! I've worked with a great number of people over the years in many different regions and countries, and always the ones who did the best job were the ones who were academically trained from the outset. Not to be discouraging, mind you, but merely to point out that to 'do' archaeology as a profession, you have to have got the academic AND field training for it.

Look to the field school option, and while doing that, talk to the professors about what they think. Between them and the other fine folks on this site, I'm sure that you'll get enough to chew on to come up with an answer.