Real-Life Communication
"Archeology is not just excavating. It also requires analysis and
the writing of reports," says Mima Kapches, an archeologist.
"You have
to have communications skills, because often times in the academic world you
are dealing with a wide variety of people," she adds.
An archeologist
must be able to communicate clearly. For instance, during a dig, extensive
field notes are taken. This includes writing precise descriptions of all artifacts
that are found.
Since these descriptions become the source of later
study, each notation must be clear and informative.
To get a sense
of this part of fieldwork, imagine you're on a dig and find a pencil.
It's very exciting, since up until now, no complete pencil has ever been
found in a dig.
Write your field notes, carefully describing the appearance
of a pencil. Remember, no detail of an artifact is unimportant.