Cultures that thrived centuries ago have left just a scattering of clues behind. As an Anthropology major in the Archaeology track, you’ll learn how to find those clues and interpret them. You’ll take part in Archaeological Field School, gaining hands-on experience in survey methods, field excavation, laboratory processing, and artifacts analysis. You'll work on an ongoing IUP excavation, such as a 15th-century Native American village site in Indiana County or the site of Colonial Hannastown, founded east of present-day Pittsburgh and occupied until it was burned in the Revolutionary War. You should plan on using the free electives in this major to add a double major or minor. Recommended minors are Geoscience, Geography, History, or another approved field. Students are also strongly encouraged to choose an internship from among the wide variety of opportunities available.

A Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology in the Archaeology track will prepare you for work in cultural resource management and historic preservation. It will also prepare you for graduate school. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 41 percent of workers in this field are employed by the government. Graduate degrees can be helpful in this field’s competitive job market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, anthropologists and archaeologists will see a slightly above-average projected job growth of 15–18 percent from 2006 to 2016. Some factors behind this increase are the role of archaeology in laws governing construction projects and the relatively healthy financial state of museums.