How to Become an Archaeologist in India

If you want to know How to Become an Archaeologist in India then, you have to scroll through this article till the end and grab all the information as per the need of the course. This article contains all the information likes roles and responsibilities of an archaeologist, types of archaeologists, eligibility criteria job opportunities, career scope, salary, and best colleges to pursue the course.

The need of the time is to study the ancient civilization and gather all the information regarding the same and be an expert in the course of the archaeologist in India.

About Archaeologist

The one who studies archaeology is known as an archaeologist. They study ancient human cultures and civilizations. An archaeologist is a scientist who studies left-over things likes clothes, bones, tools, and dishes. They collect all the evidence of the civilization and culture to observe it and do research work on the same.

To be an Archaeologist you need to have a good command of history and geography and explore the field.

Role & Responsibilities of an Archaeologist

The roles and responsibilities of an Archaeologist are mentioned below.

He/She needs to Preserve and restore the ancient civilization and human past.
He/She needs to collect the data regarding the same from the sites.
As an archaeologist, you need to collect artifacts too.

Types of Archaeologists

There are four types of Archaeology in India. Let’s discuss each of them one by one.

Prehistoric Archaeology

They study the past culture which has no written proves in terms of language.

Underwater Archaeology

They study the physical remnants of the human found under the surface of the ocean.

Historical Archaeology

They study the civilization and culture of recorded history.

Urban Archaeology

They study the archaeology of towns and cities.

Courses in Archeology

The courses that you can pursue to be an Archaeologist in India are listed below.

Courses	Duration	Fees
Diploma in Indian Archaeology	3 years	Rs. 2 Lakhs – Rs. 3.5 Lakhs
Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology and Museology	3 years	Rs. 3 Lakhs – Rs. 4.5 Lakhs
Bachelor of Arts in Indian History Culture and Archaeology	3 years	Rs. 2 Lakhs -Rs. 4 Lakhs
MA in Archaeology	2 years	Rs. 3 Lakhs – Rs. 4 Lakhs
Master of Science in Archaeology	2 years	Rs. 2 Lakhs – Rs. 3.5 Lakhs
Post-Graduate Diploma in Archaeology	2 years	Rs. 2.5 Lakhs – Rs. 3.5 Lakhs
MA in Ancient Indian History and Archaeology	2 years	Rs. 2 lakhs – Rs. 3 Lakhs
Doctor of Philosophy in Ancient Indian History, and Culture and Archaeology	3 years	Rs. 3 Lakhs- Rs. 4 Lakhs

Quick Process to become an Archaeologist

The following are the steps to be an archaeologist in India.

Step 1

Choose the course that you want to enroll in to be an Archaeologist.

Step 2

Crack the entrance exam and get admission to is desired college.

Step 3

Once the admission is over you need to improve your skills and explore new equipment and instruments to learn more.

How to become an Archaeologist in India

Eligibility Criteria

To become an Archaeologist you need to fulfill some criteria then only you become eligible. The eligibility criteria are listed below.

Age Limit

The candidate needs to be of 17 years to start learning the Archaeologist course and pursue the same to gain the expertise.

Educational Qualification

The candidate needs to complete 12th standard from a recognized university in either of the subjects like Art, History, Geology, Literature, Geography, and Anthropology with an aggregate of 55% of the total mark.

Skills Required

He/She should be hardworking and punctual at the time of work.
He/She needs to have good foresight and work experience to handle the fieldwork.
He/She needs to be committed to the work and maintain loyalty and honesty in the work.
As an Archaeologist, you must know how to work in a team and co-ordinate with the team.
He/She must know the uses of the instruments or equipment used during the craving and construction of the sites.
He/She needs to have good IT knowledge.
He/She needs to be focused and self-motivated.

Entrance Exam

The entrance exam that is held by some of the universities is listed below. You have to crack either of the exams and get admission to desired colleges.

Calcutta University Entrance Exam.
Banaras Hindu University Post Graduate Entrance Test (BHU PET)
Andhra University Common Entrance Test (AUCET)
Indraprastha University Common Entrance Test (IPU CET)

Syllabus

As an archaeologist, you must know what you have to study throughout the year. The syllabus for such courses is mentioned below.

Semester 1

Prehistory of South Asia: Paleolithic and Mesolithic
Social and Economic History of India (up to 1200 A.D.)
Political History of India (up to 1200 A.D)
Introduction to Archaeology

Semester 2

Science in Archaeology
Religious History of India
Protohistory of South Asia
Methods in Archaeology

Semester 3

Art and Architecture of India-I (300 B.C to 600 A.D)
An Outline of World Prehistory
Ancient Indian Iconography
Harappan Civilization
Biological Anthropology
Cultural Heritage Management
History of Indian Archaeology
Environmental Archaeology
Ancient Indian Paleography and Epigraphy
Archaeology and Literature

Museology 1: Basic Principles and Practice

Advanced Archaeological Theory and Research Methodology

Books & Study Materials

The study materials that you have to study while pursuing the course are mentioned below.

The mind in the cave by the author David Lewis-Williams
Before Civilization by the author Colin Renfrew
Religious Explained by the author Pascal Boyer
The Prehistory of the Mind: A Search for origins of Art, Science and Religion by the author Steven Mithen
Sinews of Survival by the author Kobayashi Issenman
Return to Chauvet Cave by the author Jean Clottes

Admission Process

You have to choose the course to pursue as an Archaeologist and crack the entrance exam. Once the exam is cracked, you have to wait for the counseling process to get admission to the desired college. You have to complete the course within the tenure and opt for the job opportunities as per your desire.

Job Description

As an archaeologist, you have different options to get employed. Some of the options are mentioned below.

Deputy Superintendent Archaeologist

As a Deputy Superintendent of Archaeologist, you must have a master’s degree in Indian History/ Geology/Archaeology/Anthropology to work with the Archaeological Survey of India.

Site Excavation and Preservation

They take the international and national projects to work on it and the project is funded by the international and national organizations for decrypting and preserving the ancient civilization and culture.

Teaching

If you the degree of post-graduate then you can take lectureship as your career in any authorized university.

Museum Preservation

In the museum, the archaeologist is always in demand to take care of the ancient artifacts and civilization.

Career Scope

As an archaeologist, you can do research work by utilizing different techniques and equipment in the sites. They study human civilization, artifacts, culture, and their environmental effects and organization.

As a lecturer, you can guide students to understand the facts and points about archaeology and proceed in that. The students are the future of India they must know things very briefly and know the process precisely to do research work.

Also Read

Archaeology Jobs In India (Recruiting Companies)

As an Archaeologist, many companies hire them after their degree. Even you can get hired by the government authorities or organizations to work as an Archaeologist in India.

Indian Council of Historical Research
Government and Private Museums
National Museums
National Heritage Agencies
Government and Private Universities and Colleges
Cultural Galleries

Archaeologist Salary

You are always paid for your work. As an Archaeologist, you also get for your hard work and efforts. The salary of an Archaeologist is mentioned below.

Job Profile	Initial Salary in INR	Final Salary in INR
Archaeologist	Rs. 20,000-Rs. 30,000 per month	Rs. 5 Lakhs -9 Lakhs per annum

Best Archaeologist Colleges in India( For Graduation)

To be an Archaeologist you have to complete your graduation from an authorized university. Some of the best colleges’ names are listed below.

Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam
Barkathullah Vishwa Vidyalaya, Bhopal
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

Archaeologist Colleges in India( For Post Graduation)

You can opt for a Master’s in Archaeologist from either of the mentioned college.

The Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management, New Delhi
Bangalore University, Bangalore
University of Kerala, Thiruvanthapuram
Institute of Archaeology, New Delhi

Conclusion

To conclude, this was all about How to Become an Archaeologist in India. Hope this guiding article will give you a proper direction to become an Archaeologist. I tried my best to cover all the details related to an Archaeologist. Yet if you have any more related queries you can ask me by commenting in the comment box. I will try to explain your query more in detail.

Share the article if you liked it! As we all know Sharing Is Caring.