Archaeology is considered a very interesting department when it comes to Indian because this country has a very rich history spanning a very long era and has immense potential for archaeologists. The actual definition of Archaeology is given as, “Archaeology is the study of the Ancient Human past through material remains”. In other words, we can define Archaeology as, the study of the past life of human right from its origination by digging deep in the soil and studying the artefacts extracted. Archaeology is a sub-discipline of Anthropology. Archaeology is considered the branch in the Arts section when it comes to the bifurcation of the branches in the studies.
The most basic benefit of this branch is that it is not a liability that we must be from the 12th Arts branch to pursue an Undergraduate in History or Archaeology. Archaeology ranges from Extracting Tools like Spades, Sickles, and Axes to Modern Extraction facilities such as Detection Software, Ground Radiation machine, and many more other devices. Archaeology comprises History, Anthropology, Geology, Ethnology, Linguistics, History, Physics, and Statistics. Archaeology is a very interesting department when it comes to learning opportunities because you will gain a lot of knowledge of the evolution of mankind over the ages through materials such as Artifacts, Transcripts, Manuscripts, and Cave Carvings.
For taking admission into the Archaeological Department, you must have a 12th pass degree with a 45-50% percentage aggregate from any of the disciplines as you wish. The only liability for taking admission is that you must have an interest in History and Social Sciences. Then you have to select an undergraduate admission in Archaeology, History, and Ancient History. Also, some colleges offer a degree of M.A in Archaeology but with a liability of appearing of some entrance exam.
The most important thing to become an officer with any department is that you must have to read hundreds of books relative to Archaeology and History because; no knowledge in history is completed as history is a continuous process. This process is the same applies to PhD in History and Archaeological Sciences. The colleges for this specialization courses are Punjabi University, Maharshi Deendayal University, University of Hyderabad, St. Josephs College, Kirori Mal College, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, VMO University, Stella Maris College, and Dyal Singh College. The list of jobs for all these processes with their description is given as follows:-
| Job Description | Job Description |
| Museum Gallery Exhibition Officer | Responsible for Planning and Organizing permanent Exhibition with supervising activities in the Museum. |
| Urban Archaeologist | Play significant roles in studying Urban or City History Archaeology. |
| Pre-Historic Archaeologists | Examines Human Traditions associated with the Pre-Historic and Historic Era. |
| Palaeontologists | Studies Life Forms which existed ever on the Earth. |
| Marine Archaeologists | Studies and Examines with the remains of the Ships and the Underwater Culture. |
| Environmental Archaeologists | Studies the Impact of Nature on the whole Human Lifestyle and Living. |
| Documentation Specialists | The one who documents all the events that happened in the past in perfect order. |
| Lecturer | The one who teaches History and Archaeological Sciences to aspiring Archaeologists. |
| Experimental Archaeologists | The one who creates obsolete objects which replicate the History by his understanding. |
Various industries, Private or Government Sector which offer employment are listed as follows:-
- National Heritage Agencies.
- Indian Council of Heritage Agencies.
- Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- National/Government/Private Museums.
- Teachers as for Universities and Schools.
The most important factor for getting a job in the Archaeological Survey of India is that you must qualify the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and State Public Service Commission (SPSC) with good quality marks. There are various salary packages offered by the departments listed above are given as follows:-
| Job Profile | Starting Salary per Annum (INR) | Mid-Level Salary per Annum (INR) | Senior Level Salary per Annum (INR) |
| Archaeologists | 350,000 | 600,000 | 10,00,000 |
| Lecturer | 250,000 | 400,000 | 600,000 |
| Documentation Specialists | 260,000 | 360,000 | 500,000 |
| Palaeontologists | 350,000 | 700,000 | 10,00,000 |
| Assistant Archaeologists | 200,000 | 400,000 | 600,000 |
| Museum/Gallery Officer/Curator | 150,000 | 300,000 | 500,000 |
There are a lot of Pros and Cons behind choosing Archaeology as a profession which are given as follows:-
Pros:-
- It reveals the career unravelling mysteries of Human Life through Archaeology.
- A famous discovery done by you can bring you to the limelight and achieve higher fame.
Cons:-
- Long working hours in this profession can be punishing mentally and physically.
- Archaeologists have to face Hazardous Conditions, Tough Weather, and Working conditions.
From this, all given information above we conclude that studying Archaeology is a very Fascinating and Awarding career with some back draws of it. So you must think about stepping your foot in this very ambitious career.
