Archaeology or history?

[TheBIHLover]

Hi everyone, 

I'm having a discussion with myself, and I need some help. I wonder if I should study archaeology or history. I love history in general, especially ancient history. History is safer to take because of job opportunities, but I would rather study artefacts than old documents. But I thought that I can do both as an historian, only not attend diggings. I am going to take a master's degree, no matter what I choose to study. 

What do you think? Any answer is appreciated. 

[Clarakore]

2 hours ago, TheBIHLover said:

Hi everyone, 

I'm having a discussion with myself, and I need some help. I wonder if I should study archaeology or history. I love history in general, especially ancient history. History is safer to take because of job opportunities, but I would rather study artefacts than old documents. But I thought that I can do both as an historian, only not attend diggings. I am going to take a master's degree, no matter what I choose to study. 

What do you think? Any answer is appreciated. 

Anthropology.

[Black Monk]

3 hours ago, TheBIHLover said:

Hi everyone, 

I'm having a discussion with myself, and I need some help. I wonder if I should study archaeology or history. I love history in general, especially ancient history. History is safer to take because of job opportunities, but I would rather study artefacts than old documents. But I thought that I can do both as an historian, only not attend diggings. I am going to take a master's degree, no matter what I choose to study. 

What do you think? Any answer is appreciated. 

I'd recommend you go for archaeology, because it's something I wouldn't mind doing myself.

[TheBIHLover]

17 minutes ago, Black Monk said:

I'd recommend you go for archaeology, because it's something I wouldn't mind doing myself.

Well, I need a secure job. I want to be a teacher in high school. If study history, then I take a support subject in English, so I can be a English teacher too. I don't really want to be a teacher in Norwegian. After master's degree in history I plan on studying political science (bachelor's degree hopefully, or one year), so I can be a teacher in politics too.

I wonder if I can be a high school teacher if I study archaeology and the same as over. Perhaps I should send an email to the university. 

Edited April 23, 2017 by TheBIHLover

[TheBIHLover]

41 minutes ago, I hide behind words said:

Anthropology.

I thought about that, but I would rather focus on the historic aspect. Anthropology focuses too much on cultures. 

[Clarakore]

2 hours ago, TheBIHLover said:

I thought about that, but I would rather focus on the historic aspect. Anthropology focuses too much on cultures. 

Indeed and would you not be involved more with history than by just focusing on artifacts and material?

And is not archaeology itself under the umbrella of anthropology? Perhaps look into the subfields of anthropology itself.

And then decide between all those and even the specializations in history. You might not plan for post-graduate degree now but that decision could be made later. This way you will be more mindful of every course and which would be better to take. Some courses are strictly mandated for a general degree combined with your choice of concentrations but others are allowed to be picked from a small menu.

A strategy in direction will allow better enrollment choices. And if you stop with a general degree you can always return later with increased chances as your plan is in place. And having a plan allows for adjustments to it better adapting to situations and changes of interests.

Find out if your region has any programs allowing fast track teacher certification. With teachers being in demand some programs pay.it but you might have to commit to certain schools and districts for a period before going to any school of your choice to find employment.

[TheBIHLover]

2 minutes ago, I hide behind words said:

Indeed and would you not be involved more with history than by just focusing on artifacts and material?

And is not archaeology itself under the umbrella of anthropology? Perhaps look into the subfields of anthropology itself.

And then decide between all those and even the specializations in history. You might not plan for post-graduate degree now but that decision could be made later. This way you will be more mindful of every course and which would be better to take. Some courses are strictly mandated for a general degree combined with your choice of concentrations but others are allowed to be picked from a small menu.

A strategy in direction will allow better enrollment choices. And if you stop with a general degree you can always return later with increased chances as your plan is in place. And having a plan allows for adjustments to it better adapting to situations and changes of interests.

Find out if your region has any programs allowing fast track teacher certification. With teachers being in demand some programs pay.it but you might have to commit to certain schools and districts for a period before going to any school of your choice to find employment.

In US, archaeology is more connected to anthropology. Here in Europe, archaeology is connected to history. 

I don't want to risk it, to be honest. Here it is required to have a master's degree to be a teacher. 

[rashore]

I think you should sit down with a school councilor or two. If you can- contact a high school councilor that deals more directly with questions like career paths and schooling. HS councilors are a wee bit less likely to try to sell you on a particular college. And also contact a college or two that offers the kinds of degrees you are interested in and see what those councilors have to say as well.

[TheBIHLover]

1 minute ago, rashore said:

I think you should sit down with a school councilor or two. If you can- contact a high school councilor that deals more directly with questions like career paths and schooling. HS councilors are a wee bit less likely to try to sell you on a particular college. And also contact a college or two that offers the kinds of degrees you are interested in and see what those councilors have to say as well.

I have done that already. But I'm standing at a crossroad. I just need some advice. 

[rashore]

2 minutes ago, TheBIHLover said:

I have done that already. But I'm standing at a crossroad. I just need some advice. 

Well, alrighty. Keep in mind I'm in the U.S.. A high school teacher probably would "go further" with a degree in history with a language backup. Or perhaps world history with your country history/politics as the backup. Most of the "ologys" tend to be more college level teaching, and lesser used in the high schools. Sociology is in high schools, but I don't think you are leaning that way from what you have said so far in the thread.

[TheBIHLover]

1 minute ago, rashore said:

Well, alrighty. Keep in mind I'm in the U.S.. A high school teacher probably would "go further" with a degree in history with a language backup. Or perhaps world history with your country history/politics as the backup. Most of the "ologys" tend to be more college level teaching, and lesser used in the high schools. Sociology is in high schools, but I don't think you are leaning that way from what you have said so far in the thread.

I had sociology in the second year of my high school. I loved it, but I love politics even more. Therefore I am going to study political sciences after history/archaeology. I plan on studying English, while studying archaeology/history, so that I can have a secure position. I contacted a university on email right now, to ask them if I as an archaeologist can teach history in high school. You just need two subjects, the one you most have a master's degree, the other only study for one year, and you can take it while you are studying history/archaeology, like I wrote before. I have everything planned, but not the first step. 

[Keel M.]

Why can't you do both? History, archaeology, anthropology are all inter-connected. If you were an archaeologist, would you stay in your own country? Would you look elsewhere? Sometimes there are only certain times of the year when you can actually dig. So the rest of the time you need something else to do if you're not helping catalog everything discovered. Plus, there's always the need to wait until funding is available. Again, in the mean time you could teach history or even archaeology.

[TheBIHLover]

1 hour ago, Nonentity said:

Why can't you do both? History, archaeology, anthropology are all inter-connected. If you were an archaeologist, would you stay in your own country? Would you look elsewhere? Sometimes there are only certain times of the year when you can actually dig. So the rest of the time you need something else to do if you're not helping catalog everything discovered. Plus, there's always the need to wait until funding is available. Again, in the mean time you could teach history or even archaeology.

The problem with archaeology, is that there are not enough jobs. I may take archaeology for one year, as I take my bachelor's degree in history, for instance. But I would like to take English, tactically speaking, because it is a better chance to get a job as a teacher in high school. As I think about it, I think history would have been better for me. I may do everything as an historian, only not the digging part, and I would at least have some stability in my life, which is important for me. I think and hope that I have made the correct decision. 

[internetperson]

History. I dated an archaeologist and she hated it, quit and went back to university.

[TheBIHLover]

10 minutes ago, internetperson said:

History. I dated an archaeologist and she hated it, quit and went back to university.

Oh, and why did she hate it? 

[internetperson]

She hated the reality of the digs. Basically just sitting in a dirty hot pit all day. It's been years so I may be butchering that to some extent, I just know she eventually went back to school to pursue other interests.

That being said she was very much on the far end of the girly spectrum. Ya know, delicate. If you can tolerate manual labor then you'll probably be better suited than she was.

[TheBIHLover]

13 minutes ago, internetperson said:

She hated the reality of the digs. Basically just sitting in a dirty hot pit all day. It's been years so I may be butchering that to some extent, I just know she eventually went back to school to pursue other interests.

That being said she was very much on the far end of the girly spectrum. Ya know, delicate. If you can tolerate manual labor then you'll probably be better suited than she was.

Noop, I hate manual labour. I like to watch people excavate.

I think I will study history. Thanks, man. 

[MissMelsWell]

I was in Turkey about 7 years ago now, and my guide in Ephesus was an archeologist and had worked on the excavation at the hillside homes dig. Because he knew everyone working on the dig, I got to go in and work on uncovering a tile mosaic... I lasted about 20 minutes. It was about 122 degrees at that site. NOPE. Done. Those guys were made of WAY stronger stuff than I!

Of course, when the opportunity presents itself, I still can't say no to digs. I'm going to Egypt in October for 3 weeks. My guide for half the trip just asked me if I'd be interested in taking part in a dig. Of course I said yes. LOL. Glutton for punishment I guess. haha

Also, one of my closest friends of many many decades has a degree in Archeology... her dig was in central Mexico somewhere. She came home with a tape worm! She went back to school and now has a Masters in Urban Development.

You really do have to be Indiana Jones to go into archeology and make it stick. LOL

Edited May 2, 2017 by MissMelsWell

[TheBIHLover]

12 hours ago, MissMelsWell said:

I was in Turkey about 7 years ago now, and my guide in Ephesus was an archeologist and had worked on the excavation at the hillside homes dig. Because he knew everyone working on the dig, I got to go in and work on uncovering a tile mosaic... I lasted about 20 minutes. It was about 122 degrees at that site. NOPE. Done. Those guys were made of WAY stronger stuff than I!

Of course, when the opportunity presents itself, I still can't say no to digs. I'm going to Egypt in October for 3 weeks. My guide for half the trip just asked me if I'd be interested in taking part in a dig. Of course I said yes. LOL. Glutton for punishment I guess. haha

Also, one of my closest friends of many many decades has a degree in Archeology... her dig was in central Mexico somewhere. She came home with a tape worm! She went back to school and now has a Masters in Urban Development.

You really do have to be Indiana Jones to go into archeology and make it stick. LOL

Yes, that is the problem. I do not like to work like that. I would rather supervise the research, rather than excavate myself. That is what I may do with a master in history.