Archeology Major? Help!

<p>Ok, so I know I want to be an archeologist. I always have. I know it's a tough major, with all the writing, but I am up for it. Here is my problem, I don't know if I want to do classical archeology, or celtic/anglo-archeology. I am greek, and speak some greek and latin, and I would probably do well to double major in archeology and classics at Bryn Mawr if I wanted to go into classical arch. I am also extremely interested Celtic and Anglo cultures and history, and I think I would be more passionate about it. But then, Bryn Mawr wouldn't be a good choice for this route since it's only Mediterranean and Near Eastern arch. I am very confused... should I just major in classics and arch at Bryn Mawr.. get my doctorate in celtic archeology from a college in England? How would I go about this? Can I major in only classics.. and then get my doctorate in archeology if I were to go the classic arch route? I have no idea how any of this works, and I would really appreciate your help. Also, what colleges out there are good for Celtic archeology? Are there any in America?</p>

<p>There are two common routes for archaeology.</p>

<p>A) Methodological - In this route, you would learn the basic field methods of archaeology. Common courses include GIS and remote sensing, zooarchaeology, dendrochronology, ceramic analysis, and the like. These skills can be transferred to any time period.</p>

<p>2) Historical - In this route, you would study the historical frameworks and artifact assemblages of certain cultures. Courses would include Greek archaeology, Mesoamerican archaeology, Egyptian art, and the like. These courses are primarily useful for a certain time period.</p>

<p>If you wanted to follow the second route at Bryn Mawr, you are correct that you are primarily limited to classical and Near Eastern archaeology. Bryn Mawr also offers many courses in the first route, however, and it is especially strong in geoarchaeology. Those courses would be useful for both classical and Celtic archaeology. </p>

<p>Never underestimate the power of study abroad. A semester or two at a British or Irish university would help you get as much experience and background as you would need for graduate admissions in the subject, provided you have a reasonably strong archaeological background already. I particularly recommend the following universities.</p>

<p>Cambridge University
Cardiff University
Durham University
Oxford University
University College Cork
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow</p>

<p>Cork in particular has a very interesting pre-session program in archaeology.
[University</a> College Cork(UCC): Study at UCC: International Students : What Can I Study Early Start Semester in Irish Archaeology](<a href=“http://www.ucc.ie/en/study/international/what/early-archaeology/]University”>http://www.ucc.ie/en/study/international/what/early-archaeology/)</p>

<p>It would also be helpful to participate in an archaeological field school.
[Archaeological</a> Institute of America - Search for Fieldwork Opportunities](<a href=“http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10016]Archaeological”>http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10016)
[ShovelBums</a> Archaeology & CRM Jobs and Archaeology Field Schools](<a href=“http://www.shovelbums.org/]ShovelBums”>http://www.shovelbums.org/)</p>

<p>As for your final question, no, Celtic (or Iron Age) archaeology is regrettably quite rare in the US. Off the top of my head, Chicago and UNC each have an Iron Age specialist. Harvard, UCLA, and Berkeley are also likely places to look. I’m sure there are more, but this is not my specialty.</p>

<p>At Oxford (in England), you can study archaeology as an undergrad major combined either with anthropology (including biological anthropology) or ancient history. A joint archaelogy/anthropology course is also available at Cambridge. </p>

<p>Keep in mind though that undergraduate courses in the UK are highly specialized and, most likely, you won’t have the chance to study anything outside your chosen major. The depth of the training you will get in your major properly exceeds though anything you could get in a US university.</p>