Archaeology majors develop research skills that enable them to investigate problems, analyze and evaluate data, and infer aspects of ancient human behavior and modes of organization. Students learn about archaeological ethics, the history of archaeology, heritage management, and the relevance of archaeology to contemporary society. Archaeology majors pick one of three tracks on which to focus: landscape archaeology, geoarchaeology, and archaeology of social complexity.

Landscape archaeology refers to the suite of archaeological and geo-spatial approaches, such as survey archaeology, geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), and remote sensing (terrestrial, airborne, and satellite) for determining the degree to which humans have altered terrain (i.e., the geophysical environment) and vegetation communities for economic, political, and ideological reasons.

Geoarchaeology focuses on the application of geo-scientific principles drawn from geophysics, sedimentology, soil science, and geochronology for understanding the origins, content variability, and the formation history of the archaeological record.

Archaeology of social complexity is the systematic and cross-cultural study of the factors (e.g., climatic, demographic, economic) that affect the trajectories of societies representing various organizational structures and sociocultural levels of complexity. The archaeology of social complexity track is intended to serve those students who have an abiding intellectual interest in and curiosity about world archaeology, human history, and the diversity of ancient societies.

Career Possibilities:

The need for individuals trained by in archaeology is clearly illustrated by the abundance of local, state, and national government institutions and agencies that have staffs of archaeologists, including the USDI Bureau of Land Management, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the USDI National Park Service, the USDA Forest Service, the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service and the Ohio Department of Transportation, among others.