Job: Rock Art Specialist and Anthropology Graduate Student, Texas State University

When and how did you first become interested in archeology?

I think I've always had an interest in the events of the past. I loved watching PBS and Nova documentaries but movies like Indiana Jones definitely made archeology look like such an adventure. Probably the strongest memory I have related to becoming interested in archeology is when one of my 4th grade teachers at my elementary school read us the book Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay. It walked through the process of archeologists in the future discovering an old abandoned motel and trying to make sense of the 20th century people who lived in that society based on the items found in the motel. It seemed so silly but at the same time so exciting. It wasn't until I went to college that I found out being an archeologist was a real career I could have!

What do you love about what you do as an archeologist?

What I love the most about being an archeologist is the outreach I've done by teaching kids, adults, and even talking to journalists and helping to fill in those gaps that aren't covered in grade school.

People get so excited to meet a real life archeologist and always want to talk about the coolest thing I have dug. I use that opportunity to talk about how archeology is more than just artifacts in the ground: it emcompases anything people have modified or created (like rock art!). Instead of having a conversation about the things, we instead have a conversation about what people have done in the past to live and make sense of their world as they knew it, which is really what archeology is about. We want to understand the people of the past and we do that by studying the things they left behind. The things themselves are cool but the people are really what we want to learn about.

A close second place to what I have done that I love as an archeologist is being part of projects that let me hike around in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone service and locate archeological sites.

What did you do to get to the place in your career that you are now?

I have always tried to learn something new every single day and that has helped me to get to the point in my career that I am now. Archeology is like detective work and it helps to be curious about why things are the way that they are. I've met a lot of different people from all over the world who all have their own experiences in archeology and I always tried to learn as much as I could from them. I also stay active in our local archeological community here in Texas by volunteering some of my time to the Texas Archeological Society as well as larger, national groups like the Society for American Archeology. This helps me to stay connected to the broader archeological community. Being a part of this community and volunteering has led me to some unique work experiences across Texas and even down in Peru.

Most importantly, I do my best to stay in touch with all the friends I made while working. They are all doing their own cool, unique things and we always have fun things to talk about when we get together again.

What advice do you have for a young person who is interested in doing archeology?

To any hopeful young archeologist I would tell them that archeology isn't always glamorous but it can be rewarding. Keep reading whatever you can find about archeology (like Texas Beyond History!), join local archeological groups (if you are in Texas, I strongly encourage the Texas Archeological Society), and don't be afraid to ask questions. Many archeologists are still learning every single day!