History and Archaeology

Careers in History and Archaeology

"A page of history is worth a pound of logic."

   - Oliver Wendell Holmes 

History is the study of temporal changes having a spatial aspect as well. Everything is a product of culmination of past events. History can serve as a key to present day problems. 

Archaeology is a subset of history which studies ancient human activity through recovery and analysis of artifacts and material remains etc. 

A history degree equips you with different skills. You attain knowledge about cultures, societies, and their interactions. Many conflicts have genesis in the past, history would help in resolving them. 

Researching and gathering information endows you with good analytical and communication skills. These skills would prepare you for fields like law, journalism, research. There is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the world and the study of history is a potent tool in its mitigation. 

 

Career Opportunities in History and Archaeology

 

Top 5 Careers in History and Archaeology

  1. HistorianHistorians are involved in researching, analyzing, recording, and interpreting the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such as personal diaries and letters.

  2. Archaeologist - Archaeologists are involved in the excavation of artefacts which help in gathering information about the past. One can pursue post-graduation in archaeology after completing bachelors in history. 

  3. Academics – Researcher/ professor - Another One can get involved in the research work and work in ICHR( Indian central historical research) and ICSSR( Indian central social sciences research). If you are endowed with a good articulating skill you can go for teaching history. 

  4. CuratorsCurators and museologists administer collections such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. They may conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.

  5. Political Scientist - Study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics such as public opinion, political decision-making, and ideology. Analyze the structure and operation of governments, as well as various political entities, conduct public opinion surveys, analyze election results, or public documents.

 

Courses in History and Archaeology 

  1. B.A/B.A. History(Hons)/ B.A. Archaeology / B.A Archaeology and Museology: 

All three are undergraduate programs.

  • Bachelor of Arts comes under the discipline of humanities/arts. Anyone having 10+2 degree in any stream can take up this course.

  • B.A. Hons (History): This program focuses on the evolution of human civilization - right from the pre-historic times to contemporary times. It emphasizes on all the major historical events which have molded human civilization all over the world. It is one of the most popular courses in the Arts stream.

  • B.A. Archaeology: Also a 3-year undergraduate degree program where students study about human activities by recovering and evaluating the material culture. The curriculum also covers prehistoric societies. Students who have passed their 10+2 exam from a recognized board are eligible to apply for this program.

  • B.A Archaeology and Museology: Similar to the BA Archaeology degree, but additionally focuses on the preservation of ancient relics and artifacts and the ethics, policies and history of museums. 

 

  1. M.A. Ancient History/ M.A. Medieval History/ M.A. Modern History/M.A. Archaeology: 

Students can choose a specialization at the post graduation level

M.A History is a two-year postgraduate degree program which is offered at different Indian Universities for those who have studied History at the undergraduate level and wish to opt for a postgraduate degree in the same specialization.

  • One of the main focuses of an MA in Medieval Studies is examining source manuscripts and art from the medieval period.

  • Modern History examines the social, political and economic facts in the modern contemporary world. Between the seventeenth and the twentieth centuries, the discipline focuses on key ideas and notions of political history, social and cultural progress around the world.

  •  Master's degree in Archaeology studies ancient and historic cultures and civilizations, as well as their social and cultural makeup. All of this is accomplished by study, excavations, examination, interpretation, and documentation of the evidence that has been found.

 

  1. M.Phil./Ph.D.:

M. Phil.: M. Phil. History is a unique research degree awarded by just a few university departments, mainly in the fields of arts, archaeology, philosophy, social sciences, and theology. Admission to this course is selective and mainly aimed at those candidates opting for a career in academics. It’s generally a 2-year degree program.

Ph.D: A doctorate, or Ph. D., in history generally takes between 5 to 9 years to finish. Ph.D. is the highest degree in this area of expertise.

 

Apart from these specialized careers, History graduates are found everywhere. They are in the army, government, media, law and some even join the corporate sector as a human resources person. 

This human study equips you with ample skills and knowledge. With the advent of globalization and opening of markets, job opportunities has widened. In the present times, history careers are not conventional which are just limited to teaching.

 If one is very passionate and good in academics, you could excel in the above fields if you acquire the prerequisite skills. 

 

FREE COURSES

The below courses provide a good overview on the study area

An introduction is provided in the below video

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s take a look at some commonly asked questions by students.

The issue is that, contrary to different fields like literature, archeology is all about the soil and exploration. You can glance at as many photographs as you want and read as many books as you can, however nothing compares to the experience you get by screening cans of earth, searching for minuscule bits of obsidian or recognizing animal bones that you can turn in your hand and feel their weight. Prehistoric studies isn't only a theoretical field, it is totally a hands-on discipline. Indeed, even without a functional field school, which I realize a few colleges desperately lack, you should be present with ancient artifacts to figure out how to learn anything from them.

All things considered, there are colleges where you can quicken your graduation with online courses for the general classes and possibly even a portion of the theoretical or hypothetical classes. So, a completely online archeology degree would deny you some key understanding, however there might be some online choices accessible.

To put it plainly, no. To be a genuine Archaeologist, you must have learned about the theoretical side as well as the standards of how to burrow, etc. Without that information, each relic you find is suspect to the real age since you need to distinguish the layer from which it came (provenance). It is beyond the realm of imagination to expect to turn into an appointed authority without degree; same thing is with prehistoric studies. Be that as it may, what you can do is have a leisure activity, and do some exploration all alone. You can also fill in as a 'digger' at a site and you would be under the management of an archaeologist who would guide you where and how to reveal your square.


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