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Julia has a B.A. from Eastern Michigan University, and is currently working on obtaining a M.A. in Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management from Central Michigan University. She focuses on the Great Lakes region of North America, and studies material culture from different temporal periods. Read more to find out Julia's thoughts on archaeology, her experiences as an archaeologist, and why the discipline fascinates her. "I began my archaeology journey when I was young. As a child – maybe around 7-10 years old – I was completely obsessed with becoming an archaeologist. My mom picked up on how excited I was, and she fostered my interest by buying me books about archaeology. She even made me a digging kit, which contained a trowel and some brushes (I still use that kit to this day). I decided to pursue archaeology as a serious career while I was in college; after doing a couple of different research projects, I decided to specialize in the Great Lakes region of North America. I am also a ceramicist; I study mostly ceramic artifacts, but I work with materials from all time periods in the region. I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts degree in 2018. I worked in the cultural resource management (CRM) realm as a field technician, a ceramic analyst, crew lead and laboratory director. I wanted better pay and better job security; therefore, I began going to graduate school. I plan on obtaining my Master of Arts in 2021. A lot of films and media romanticize archaeology; however, the reality of archaeology isn’t quite as swashbuckling as it is typically portrayed. Also, we don’t do archaeology just to “dig around and find cool stuff”; we typically do archaeology because either the sites in question are subject to be destroyed (either by modern humans or by natural forces), or because we have a need to investigate a particular research question. Archaeology requires intensive background research on the area you’re about to investigate. What kinds of cultures lived there in the past, and who lives there now? What is the history of the area? Additionally, we can’t just dig anywhere willy-nilly. Depending on the area’s laws, you need special permits and/or permission to dig on private or Federal lands. Artifacts that are collected in the field are collected according to horizontal and vertical provenience, i.e. context. Context is everything to archaeologists; without the artifacts’ contexts, we cannot understand who put them there in the first place, or why. Furthermore, archaeological excavation is a destructive process; extensive field notes need to be taken before any kind of archaeological site is dug out. Artifacts and field data are then taken back to the laboratory to be washed and analyzed. After the analysis process, archaeologists need to present their data and results to the public. That are SO MANY things one can do with archaeology; thus, there are many specializations within the field of archaeology. You may decide to study bones (zooarchaeology is the study of animal bones found in archaeological context; the study of ancient human bones is called bioarchaeology); you might decide to study a certain artifact category, such as stone tools, historical glass, or pottery, for example. You may decide to study one specific period, or the archaeology of a particular region. My advice to students who are interested in pursuing archaeology as a career is to delve into the reading material as much as you can. I also recommend looking into the laws and regulations that pertain to archaeology in the region in which you want to study. Another recommendation is to investigate what kinds of opportunities for paid work you can find in that region. For example, cultural resource management (CRM) is a popular career choice for archaeologists in the United States. You may also want to become involved with your local archaeological and historical societies; such places provide fantastic opportunities to network with professionals and amateurs who can help you develop your skills as an archaeologist. This said, however, most students must balance work, school, and relationships. As an archaeology student myself, I had to learn to balance those things; most of the time, it was incredibly stressful. For students who are looking into graduate programs, I highly suggest figuring out which universities/institutions can provide you funding for paid work and research while you’re in school. During my time as an undergraduate student, I worked closely with a couple of mentors. These mentors – professors and academic advisors – sort of set me loose in the laboratory when I conducted my analyses. They interjected when they felt the need to advise me or set me in a better direction as I was doing my research. I learned a lot from them, and they helped foster my expertise. I’ll be honest; without them, I wouldn’t have become an archaeologist. During this time, I also became obsessed with my research topics; a lot of my learning was inspired by my own need to understand the theory and history behind my projects. Right before I graduated with my BA, I wanted to network and volunteer with other archaeologists in the region of Michigan, where I lived. I joined the Michigan Archaeological Society; I met professional and advocational archaeologists who are inspiring, due to their passion and expertise for Michigan archaeology. I also volunteered almost every week in the summertime at a museum in Saginaw; I gained a broader perspective of how fieldwork and lab work was done. I gained a couple of amazing friendships from that, along with a few priceless professional connections. After I graduated, I worked as a field technician (basically a field assistant) in cultural resource management, for an environmental firm in Ohio. There, I did more than fieldwork; I worked in their lab, and I analyzed pottery for them on a contract-basis. A few months later, I got extremely lucky – was just in the right place in at the right time – and was offered a position as a crew chief and laboratory director. I was in charge of field crews and in charge of the firm’s archaeological laboratory; I learned about using a GPS unit, how to curate artifacts, and other lab-management things. My boss was really good at historical archaeology; he taught me SO MUCH about the artifact categories that I was unfamiliar with. Archaeology is not just “digging around and finding cool stuff”. Human cultures are vast and many; each one deserves a voice. If done ethically, archaeology can help with that. Additionally, one of my mentors once told me, “there are as many ways to do archaeology as there are archaeologists”. Therefore, there are a vast number of things that one can study through archaeology, though more than one method. A lot of time and energy go into archaeological research; but, I would argue, it is all worth it." ***** Thank you so much for writing, Julia! To check out more of her work, please visit her blog at https://abloodytrowel.blogspot.com/ Stay tuned for more Archaeology Day posts from around the world!
8 Comments
Linda Rebello
10/19/2019 02:14:14 pm
Nice to see that you're back, Prapti! Will you be doing any posts on South Asian archaeology? I would love to read that! How's it going with your fort?
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Prapti Panda
10/24/2019 02:01:07 am
Hi, Linda! It's been a while, hasn't it? I hope you're doing well. There might be some posts on South Asian archaeology, but I haven't finalized anything yet. This time of the semester is just too busy for me. And the work with the fort has been going well! I'll be doing my fieldwork in December, if all goes according to plan.
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Chrissy Keelan
10/24/2019 01:49:04 am
Nice work, Julia! I wish there were more posts like these...Posts like these remind me of why I love archaeology when I'm feeling demotivated.
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Prapti Panda
10/24/2019 02:03:27 am
I'm so glad this helped you, J! Is your visit confirmed? We should definitely meet up, then.
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Timothy R
10/24/2019 01:51:23 am
Wow- CRM sounds so cool. I'm a cultural anthropology student in Melbourne, and I would really like to shift to archaeology in my Masters. How do you guys get so much field experience?
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Prapti Panda
10/24/2019 02:05:13 am
Hi Timothy! It's great to hear that you are interested in archaeology. For getting fieldwork experience, it's best to consult your faculty members or local archaeology centers for opportunities.
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Gail Ruthers
10/24/2019 01:55:26 am
Hiii Prapti! So glad that you're back to posting. Sorry I saw this so late. What happened to your website, by the way? I can't find the older blog posts and your photography samples. I do like the dark theme, though.
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Prapti Panda
10/24/2019 02:10:18 am
Hello there, Gail! I'm sorry about the website- I just switched hosting platforms, and I'm still trying to export all of my content from the last website to this one. I know, it's a mess. But I'll resolve it soon! And maybe include some funny posts, if I'm feeling generous :)
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