Occupation Details
Anthropologists and Archeologists
Study the origin, development, and behavior of human beings. May study the way of life, language, or physical characteristics of people in various parts of the world. May engage in systematic recovery and examination of material evidence, such as tools or pottery remaining from past human cultures, in order to determine the history, customs, and living habits of earlier civilizations.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Work Values
Achievement
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Independence
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$40,230.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$67,110.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$90,500.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
20,640
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
23,440
+280 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
1,850
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.1%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
More School - Graduate or advanced degree
Experience Requirements
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Education Requirements
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Training Details
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, physician assistants, and veterinarians.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
Sociology and Anthropology
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
History and Archeology
Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Geography
Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Analytical Thinking
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- 35 millimeter cameras
- Alidades
- Bench scales
- Binoculars
- Bucket augers
- Cold chisels
- Conductivity probes
- Countertop centrifuges
- Crack hammers
- Dental burs
- Dental picks
- Deoxyribonucleic acid DNA sequencers
- Desktop computers
- Dial calipers
- Digital audio recorders
- Digital calipers
- Digital cameras
- Digital levels
- Digital video cameras
- Digitizers
- Directional compasses
- Drying ovens
- Drying racks
- Dust masks
- Electrical resistivity instruments
- Electron microscopes
- Electronic topload scales
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ELISA plate readers
- External lavalier microphones
- Film processors
Technology
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Systems Adobe Dreamweaver
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Age progression software
- Apple iMovie
- Applied Biosystems GeneMapper
- Archeological Sites Management Information System ASMIS
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Automated National Catalog System ANCS
- C++
- Data visualization software
- ESRI ArcView
- GE Healthcare ImageQuant TL
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- solve problems in human relations
- recommend further study or action based on research data
- recommend further study or action based on research data
- advise governmental or industrial personnel
- advise governmental or industrial personnel
- prepare reports
- prepare reports
- edit written material
- edit written material
- prepare technical reports or related documentation
- prepare technical reports or related documentation
- direct and coordinate scientific research or investigative studies
- direct and coordinate scientific research or investigative studies
- evaluate documents or manuscripts
- analyze artifacts to determine age or cultural identity
- analyze artifacts to determine age or cultural identity
- test historical authenticity of various materials
- write research or project grant proposals
- write research or project grant proposals
- develop policies, procedures, methods, or standards
- develop plans for programs or projects
- develop plans for programs or projects
- communicate technical information
- communicate technical information
- make presentations
- make presentations
- compile information through interviews
- plan scientific research or investigative studies
- plan scientific research or investigative studies
- create mathematical or statistical diagrams or charts
- create mathematical or statistical diagrams or charts
- develop scientific or mathematical hypotheses, theories, or laws
- develop scientific or mathematical hypotheses, theories, or laws
- work as a team member
- work as a team member
- confer with research personnel
- use current social research
- use current social research
- use interpersonal communication techniques
- use interviewing procedures
- use nutrition research techniques
- use oral or written communication techniques
- use oral or written communication techniques
- use scientific research methodology
- use scientific research methodology
- use public speaking techniques
- use knowledge of investigation techniques
- use knowledge of investigation techniques
- use mathematical or statistical methods to identify or analyze problems
- use mathematical or statistical methods to identify or analyze problems
- use quantitative research methods
- use quantitative research methods
- use library or online Internet research techniques
- use library or online Internet research techniques
- use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
- use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
- use relational database software
- use relational database software
- use spreadsheet software
- use spreadsheet software
- use word processing or desktop publishing software
- use word processing or desktop publishing software
- develop or maintain databases
- develop or maintain databases
- compile numerical or statistical data
- compile numerical or statistical data
- develop tables depicting data
- develop tables depicting data
- compile data on human physique, social customs, or artifacts
- compile data on human physique, social customs, or artifacts
- catalog or classify materials or artifacts
- catalog or classify materials or artifacts
- classify plants, animals, or other natural phenomena
- explain complex mathematical information
- explain complex mathematical information
- interpret charts or tables for social or economic research
- interpret charts or tables for social or economic research
- write scholarly or technical research papers
- write scholarly or technical research papers
- describe artifacts
- describe artifacts
- translate written or spoken language
- translate written or spoken language
- interpret artifacts, architectural features, or types of structures
- interpret artifacts, architectural features, or types of structures
- understand second language
- understand second language
- recognize interrelationships among individuals or social groups
- recognize interrelationships among individuals or social groups
- recognize interrelationships among social statistics or indicators
- recognize interrelationships among social statistics or indicators
- record historical information
- record historical information
- analyze scientific research data or investigative findings
- analyze scientific research data or investigative findings
- conduct field research or investigative studies
- conduct field research or investigative studies
- analyze social or economic data
- analyze social or economic data
- forecast or predict phenomena based upon research data
- reconstruct record of past human life
- reconstruct record of past human life
- collect scientific or technical data
- collect scientific or technical data
- collect statistical data
- collect statistical data
- collect social or personal information
- obtain information from individuals
- obtain information from individuals
- study artifacts, architectural features, or structures
- study artifacts, architectural features, or structures
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology.
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.
- Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.
- Research, survey, or assess sites of past societies and cultures in search of answers to specific research questions.
- Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
- Assess archeological sites for resource management, development, or conservation purposes and recommend methods for site protection.
- Collect artifacts made of stone, bone, metal, and other materials, placing them in bags and marking them to show where they were found.
- Study objects and structures recovered by excavation to identify, date, and authenticate them and to interpret their significance.
- Compare findings from one site with archeological data from other sites to find similarities or differences.
- Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious institutions of distinct cultural groups, communities, and organizations.
- Gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains to increase knowledge of ancient cultures.
- Describe artifacts' physical properties or attributes, such as the materials from which artifacts are made and their size, shape, function, and decoration.
- Record the exact locations and conditions of artifacts uncovered in diggings or surveys, using drawings and photographs as necessary.
- Consult site reports, existing artifacts, and topographic maps to identify archeological sites.
- Identify culturally specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communities, in collaboration with medical and public health officials.
- Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.
- Advise government agencies, private organizations, and communities regarding proposed programs, plans, and policies and their potential impacts on cultural institutions, organizations, and communities.
- Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings.
- Develop intervention procedures, using techniques such as individual and focus group interviews, consultations, and participant observation of social interaction.
- Develop and test theories concerning the origin and development of past cultures.
- Clean, restore, and preserve artifacts.
- Lead field training sites and train field staff, students, and volunteers in excavation methods.
- Collaborate with economic development planners to decide on the implementation of proposed development policies, plans, and programs based on culturally institutionalized barriers and facilitating circumstances.
- Conduct participatory action research in communities and organizations to assess how work is done and to design work systems, technologies, and environments.
- Organize public exhibits and displays to promote public awareness of diverse and distinctive cultural traditions.
- Formulate general rules that describe and predict the development and behavior of cultures and social institutions.
- Study archival collections of primary historical sources to help explain the origins and development of cultural patterns.
- Apply traditional ecological knowledge and assessments of culturally distinctive land and resource management institutions to assist in the resolution of conflicts over habitat protection and resource enhancement.
- Enhance the cultural sensitivity of elementary and secondary curricula and classroom interactions in collaboration with educators and teachers.
- Participate in forensic activities, such as tooth and bone structure identification, in conjunction with police departments and pathologists.
Learning Resources
More information on this occupation may be found in the links provided below.
After School Program
Topics range from the exploration of the vast, uncharted regions of space to the microscopic world of DNA, from the evolution of dinosaurs to the study of world cultures. Students who are interested in many branches of science including biodiversity, paleontology, anthropology, genetics, astronomy, astrophysics, and geology will find something to explore at the After School Program.
Learn MoreAmerican Museum of Natural History Adventures 2007 Summer Camps
Summer Adventures 2007 includes hands-on investigations, behind-the-scenes tours, and visits with Museum scientists. Some topics include: Fossils and DNA, Ocean Adventures, Mythic Creatures, Destination Space, Robotics and more!
Learn MoreArchaeological Perspective
Think like an archaeologist! Dig up the remains of Vikings and Middle Kingdom Egyptians in two all new scenarios designed specially for you. The camps are held at a variety of locations in NYS.
Learn MoreArchaeological Perspective
If you're planning for the summer, think like an archaeologist! This year we will be digging up the remains of Vikings and Middle Kingdom Egyptians in two all-new scenarios designed specially for kids.The archaeology camp?s premise is that learning something relevant, useful, and meaningful, should be fun.The camps are held at a variety of locations in NYS.
Learn MoreArchaeology for Kids
This program introduces students (ages of 9-13) to the science of archaeology. They learn important archaeological concepts through hands-on, interactive activities.
Learn MoreDarwin Day 2007 - Darwin's Trunk an Evolution Workshop for Teachers
Darwin Day 2007 is a five day series of panel discussions, film screenings, speakers, and workshops, that are aimed at increasing awareness of Darwin's theory and its relevance today in the Ithaca community and beyond. Speakers and discussion about how K12 teachers can approach the subject of evolution in their classrooms co-sponsored by TST BOCES is highlighted.
Learn MoreHigh School Science Research Program (HSSRP)
HSSRP is an after school internship program for students interested in gaining hands on research experience. Students are exposed to advanced scientific material and research techniques. The goal of this program is to find students who demonstrate a keen interest in science and provide them with the knowledge and experience to work towards a career in the scientific world. Currently, the following three content areas are offered: Anthropology, Genetics and Genomics and Biodiversity.
Learn MoreMuseum Education Institute at the New York State Museum
The Institute introduces teachers to the Museum research process, with access to current research information, and encourages interaction with Museum research and collections staff. The teacher workshops are aligned with New York State Learning Standards and encourages hands-on and inquiry based training opportunities. Evolution,earth science and archaeology are upcoming themes.
Learn MoreNew York Academy of Sciences
Since 1817, the New York Academy of Sciences' purpose is to advance the understanding of science, technology, and medicine, and to stimulate new ways to think about how their research is applied in society and the world.
Learn MorePace University Summer Scholars Program 2007: Forensic Science Uncovering CSI
CSI has nothing on the Forensic Science Program at Pace. Come see how the real experts do it! From the crime scene to the laboratory, students will learn how forensic anthropologists recover and analyze skeletal remains and a look into the crime lab, students will see what a forensic scientists do on a daily basis.
Learn MoreScienceEduNet
SciEduNet is the website of the Education Department of the New York Academy of Sciences. The goal is to provide a link between the K12 educational community and myriad science enrichment programs and resources throughout the NYC area.
Learn MoreScienceEduNet
SciEduNet is the website of the Education Department of the New York Academy of Sciences. The goal is to provide a link between the K-12 educational community and myriad science enrichment programs and resources throughout the tri-state area(NY,NJ,CT).
Learn MoreSocial scientists, other
Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.
Learn More