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Remembering when I had to pick between a dig site in Arizona or a lab job in Boston right after graduation
I went with the Arizona field work and, in my experience, spending those 6 months in the desert sun taught me more about soil layers and context than any textbook ever could, but has anyone else made a similar choice and how did it turn out for you?
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briannguyen6mo ago
Just digging in the dirt"? That's a wild way to talk about actual field archaeology.
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susanm223mo ago
Your cousin thinks a lab job in Boston is "field archaeology"? That's like calling a desk job "construction work." Field archaeology is literally digging, screening, mapping, dealing with weather, bugs, and landowners who think you're looking for treasure. Lab analysis is important but it's not the same as getting your hands dirty on a real site. I've seen people spend years in labs and freeze up when they have to actually identify a feature in the field.
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max3886mo ago
My cousin took a lab job in Boston right out of school. Five years later, he's a project lead because he learned the latest methods and built a network in the city. I get the field experience, but being in a major hub gave him a clear path forward that just digging in the dirt never did. Sometimes the right choice is the one that sets up your next ten years, not just the next six months.
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