Too many archaeologists focus on scarcity. There isn’t enough grant money. Not enough cultural resource management archaeology contracts. Not enough hours in the budget to get this project done. Focusing on what don’t have blinds us to opportunities for archaeology to make an impact beyond academia and consulting. It also […]
Before continuing with this post, I just have a few things to say to all the first-generation and working class college students in the United States: You matter. You are worthy of college. Your university is better off having you there. You belong in college. Hard work, dedication, and skills […]
I haven’t given up on the idea of buying historical properties, fixing them up, and maintaining them as a rental property. I feel like this is also a viable way we can keep the historical fabric of American neighborhoods alive. I’ve written about this before, but my previous timeframe might […]
As I was writing this blog post at the end of August, 2018, I started thinking about the upcoming academic school year. Courses and programs of great value to the next generation of cultural resource management archaeologists exist (like the Heritage Resource Program at Simon Frasier University). Not all of […]
During my time in cultural resource management archaeology, I have noticed how field experience, or lack thereof, creates a separation between those archaeologists who go out in the field (A.K.A “dirt archaeologists”) and those who spend most of their time in the office. Most of the office archaeologists used to […]
Last month, I noticed a familiar name in anthropology news. Current University of North Dakota dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Debbie Storrs, a former anthropology professor at my alma mater University of Idaho, recently proposed conflating anthropology and several other related fields into a new School of […]
Investment, development, and commerce in Africa is nothing new. Egypt is no stranger to international commerce or monumental architecture. They’ve been doing it for over 4,500 years. Procurement of African luxury items sourced from the upper Nile River was integral to the Roman economy 2,000 years ago. The Swahili Coast […]
As we approach the summer, hundreds of anthropology college students are starting to seriously think about their job prospects. Students who will return to campus at the end of the summer are thinking about conducting research or landing a summer job related to their major. If you’re an archaeologist and […]
It took years to land my first full-time job in cultural resource management archaeology. It took an undergraduate degree, a Master’s, and many resumes, cover letters, and conference papers. On my first CRM projects as a twentysomething, crew chiefs and project managers could clearly see my biggest asset—the fact that […]
In 2014, I attended a workshop at the Society for American Archaeology conference in Austin that focused on building a career in archaeology. The workshop was taught by Carol Ellick and Joe Watkins, who are also the authors of the powerful book The Anthropology Graduate Student’s Guide: From Student to […]
