What is Archaeology? Scope and Career opportunities

What is Archaeology?
Archaeology is the scientific study of past cultures and the way people lived, based on the things they left behind. It is a subfield of anthropology, the study of all human culture.

Archaeology links with many subjects, including geography, history, social sciences, maths, physics, biology, chemistry, art, religion, and technology.

It is very important to understand the life stories of people who live long ago. Archaeology helps us understand not only where and when people lived on the earth, but also why and how they have lived, examining the changes and causes of changes that have occurred in human cultures over time.

Once an archaeologist locates a site, he / she does the initial research and gets permission to conduct a dig.

What is the scope?
Archaeologists have long recognised the value of artistic representations of maritime scenes as a source of information. They can work in a multitude of organisations, undertaking a broad selection of tasks.

What are the career options?
In India archaeologists work in the Archaeological Survey of India, Department of the Ministry of External Affairs, Central Board of Dilm Censors, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Defence Services, Council of Cultural Relations, Indian Council of Historical Research, in its exploration, excavation, epigraphy, pre-history and museum branches.

There are other various heritage bodies and some foreign universities and foundations that are involved in urban conservation or excavations.

What are the job roles?

Archaeologist
Professor
Archivist
Historian
Assistant Archaeologist

Who can study this course?

Candidates who have studied History in 10+2 are eligible to pursue archaeology in UG level.
Candidates who have passed bachelor's degree in science and arts disciplines are eligible to pursue Archaeology in master and doctoral level at Indian and foreign universities.
Candidates have to pass the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) or by the State Public Service Commissions (SPSC) examinations.

Scholarship:

Students who succeed to get admission into the two year Post Graduate Diploma program in Archaeology run by the ASI, get a stipend of Rs.1,500/- each.
PG students of archaeology who get through the National Eligibility Test (NET) or the Junior Research Fellow (JRF)-Lectureship examination, would get monthly renumeration of Rs 8,000/-.

Top Colleges / Universities in India offering Archaeology: