Occupation information for

Conduct research to reconstruct record of past human life and culture from human remains, artifacts, architectural features, and structures recovered through excavation, underwater recovery, or other means of discovery.

Currently Employed: 65

Yearly Projected Openings: 0

Typical Hourly Wage: $33.04 - $52.80

Typical Annual Salary: $68,700 - $109,800

• Write, present, and publish reports that record site history, methodology, and artifact analysis results, along with recommendations for conserving and interpreting findings.
• Clean, restore, and preserve artifacts.
• Study objects and structures recovered by excavation to identify, date, and authenticate them and to interpret their significance.
• Present findings from archeological research to peers and the general public.
• Record the exact locations and conditions of artifacts uncovered in diggings or surveys, using drawings and photographs as necessary.
• Research, survey, or assess sites of past societies and cultures in search of answers to specific research questions.
• Lead field training sites and train field staff, students, and volunteers in excavation methods.
• Create a grid of each site and draw and update maps of unit profiles, stratum surfaces, features, and findings.
• Collect artifacts made of stone, bone, metal, and other materials, placing them in bags and marking them to show where they were found.
• Develop and test theories concerning the origin and development of past cultures.

• Calipers
• Laboratory sifting equipment
• Levels
• Shovels
• Trowels

• Data base user interface and query software
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Map creation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software