Finding Work As An Archaeological Field Technician

Chris Webster's guide outlines many aspects of finding work as an archaeological field technician. The book is organized into five sections, each focused on a particular aspect of making a living as a field tech. Section 1, “Getting a Job” focuses on the prerequisites for a job as a field technician, making the important observation that coursework and field school training are often overlooked elements to prepare people for their first archaeology job. Webster notes a common regret based on his own experience:

“Students tend to see [field school] as a chance to either do something that will help them later in their careers, see other countries, or fulfill their dreams. I chose the last one, since I didn’t know what CRM archaeology was

The type of gear will vary seasonally, regionally, and by the type of project. While CRM companies generally provide necessary work equipment, it is important that field technicians maintain appropriate personal gear for safety, convenience, and comfort. This includes a pack, rain gear and/or appropriate seasonal outerwear, water bottle, and good boots. Oddly enough, important items that newbies to fieldwork often forget -- personal care products such as tecnu poison ivy wash, sunscreen, and bug repellent -- are omitted in the chapter. These items are worth their weight in gold while doing fieldwork. The potential to encounter a wide variety of hazards, including poisonous snakes and spiders, ticks, poison ivy, rusted nails, and other environmental hazards on a routine basis during fieldwork would suggest that a primer on health and safety would have been a useful addition to this book. The chapters on lodging, hotels, cooking, and camping are not universally applicable to all employment settings, but the discussion is very thorough, and made more effective by the addition of commentary provided by experienced field

This is an important discussion for the CRM industry, which thus far, has largely been relegated to blogs and podcasts by field techs – including Chris Webster’s Random Acts of Science and Bill White’s Succinct Research blogs, R. Joe Brandon’s blog at shovelbums.org, and the forum at archaeologyfieldwork.com, among several others. With some exceptions, including a 2013 online seminar (Get Hired!) by Carol Ellick for the Society for American Archaeology, major archaeological organizations, including the American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA) and the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA), have not devoted much effort to the issue of labor in the archaeological workforce. The lack of dialogue is evident in some of the strategies that Webster proposes to navigate the consequences or benefits of unemployment. Webster notes:

“I feel that CRM archaeology is one of the few professions where people earn their unemployment every year. We work hard during the year, and if there simply isn’t any work over the winter then you should be able to draw unemployment. Consider it a gift from the people of the state you live in for helping to record and preserve their history” (p.