Careers in Archaeology
Archaeology Program – School of Historical and European Studies
School of Historical and European Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
La Trobe University Victoria 3086 Australia
Phone: (+ 61 3) 9479 2385 Email: archaeology@latrobe.edu.au
www.latrobe.edu.au/archaeology
The human past can be studied in many ways. Archaeologists use cultural remains such as stone tools,
fragments of pottery and human and animal bones, as well as environmental data to reconstruct history.
Much modern archaeology is concerned with the nature of ancient cultures and how they change posing
questions about past economies, societies and ways of dealing with the natural environment. While the
discipline of archaeology includes a wide range of interests and specialisations, individual archaeologists
often concentrate on a particular field, such as the study of human or animal bones, stone tools or pottery,
or the administration of laws protecting archaeological and historical relics. There is also often a strong
emphasis on a particular part of the world.
Within Australia most archaeologists work on prehistoric material the remains of more than 40,000 years of human occupation of
this continent before European settlement. There is also a growing interest in the archaeology of the last 200 years. This branch,
called historical archaeology, relies on written and pictorial records as well as the study of colonial artefacts and structures. There
are also some more specialist areas such as maritime or underwater archaeology which is mostly about shipwrecks.
Professional archaeologists in Australia who work overseas are involved in a wide range of projects in countries all over the world,
such as on the Pacific islands, Greece, Egypt, and Asia. Some projects are concerned with ancient art, but most are to do with
reconstructing past social and economic behaviour and adding to regional culture histories. While the impressive cities, temples
and statues of past empires are undeniab