The work of excavating and analyzing buried material is not held by a single occupation but is instead divided among several highly specialized scientific careers. These disciplines rely on rigorous methodologies to recover physical evidence, ranging from ancient organisms to historical human activity. Understanding the specific focus of each field clarifies the professional designation for the person conducting the excavation.
Defining the Professions That Excavate Bones
The two primary scientific fields concerned with the systematic recovery of buried remains are Paleontology and Archaeology. A Paleontologist focuses on the study of ancient life, investigating the history of organisms, their environments, and their evolution through the analysis of fossilized remains. This work involves locating and excavating fossils, which are the preserved remnants or traces of organisms from the geological past.
An Archaeologist is concerned with the human past, studying history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of material culture. While they frequently encounter human remains, their scope includes artifacts, architecture, and landscapes to reconstruct past behaviors and societies. Both professions share the common task of carefully digging up and documenting buried evidence, though their subject matter is fundamentally different.
Differentiating Archaeology and Paleontology
The boundary separating these two fields is defined by the appearance of Homo sapiens and the study of deep time. Paleontology’s scope extends millions of years into the past, focusing on the fossil record before the emergence of modern humans. Their findings typically involve mineralized bones of non-human animals or evidence of ancient plant life, offering insights into evolutionary processes and past ecosystems.
Archaeology is explicitly dedicated to the study of human culture and behavior, generally covering the last few million years up to the recent past. The materials recovered are defined as cultural remains, including tools, pottery, remnants of structures, and evidence of environmental modification. When an archaeologist encounters human bones, they are analyzed within the context of burial practices, social structure, and historical identity.
Paleontologists look for biological associations within a geological context, while archaeologists seek cultural associations within a historical or anthropological context. This difference means that the geological and biological sciences form the foundation of paleontology, whereas archaeology is a sub-discipline of anthropology.
Educational Requirements and Training
Entering the research fields of archaeology or paleontology requires a prolonged academic commitment, typically beginning with a bachelor’s degree in a relevant foundational subject. Aspiring paleontologists often concentrate on geology or biology, while archaeologists focus on anthropology or classics, supplementing their studies with courses in statistics, geography, and specialized regional history.
Securing a professional research or teaching position usually necessitates an advanced degree, with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) often being the standard for leadership roles and academic tenure. The doctoral research process provides the expertise and project management skills necessary to lead complex excavations and secure grant funding.
Academic training requires extensive practical experience gained through mandatory field schools and supervised fieldwork hours. These training programs teach the physical realities of excavation, mapping, and documentation under the guidance of experienced professionals.
The Process of Fieldwork and Laboratory Analysis
Fieldwork begins long before the first shovel is turned, often involving remote sensing techniques, aerial photography, and geological surveys to identify promising subsurface anomalies. Once a site is chosen, the area is meticulously prepared by establishing a datum point and laying out a grid system. This system allows every recovered item to be precisely mapped in three-dimensional space.
Excavation proceeds in controlled layers, often using small hand tools like trowels, brushes, and dental picks to carefully expose fragile remains. The removed soil, or matrix, is processed through fine-mesh screens to recover smaller evidence, such as teeth fragments, micro-artifacts, or seeds. Detailed field notes, standardized forms, and high-resolution photography ensure the context of the find is preserved after the material is removed.
When bones or fossils are uncovered, they often require immediate stabilization using chemical consolidants to prevent disintegration upon exposure to air and handling. Larger, more fragile specimens may be removed in a plaster jacket, or “pedestal,” which encases the block of earth surrounding the find for safe transport to the laboratory.
In the lab, specimens undergo cleaning, reconstruction, and cataloging into a permanent collection. Analytical techniques, such as radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analysis, and microscopic examination, are then used to determine age, diet, and biological origin.
The Specialized Role of Forensic Anthropology
A specialized discipline that also involves the excavation of human remains is Forensic Anthropology, which operates within the modern legal system rather than a historical research context. These professionals apply anthropological techniques to recent human remains, often those that are decomposed, burned, or scattered, to assist law enforcement investigations.
Their primary goal is to establish a biological profile of the deceased, including age, sex, ancestry, and stature, and to identify any unique features that could lead to positive identification. This work involves documenting and recovering scattered remains or excavating clandestine graves with the same meticulous care as a research archaeologist.
Forensic anthropologists work closely with medical examiners and police detectives, analyzing skeletal trauma to determine the potential cause and manner of death. Because their work directly impacts legal proceedings, the chain of custody and detailed documentation of the scene are paramount for the evidence to be admissible in court.
Career Outlook and Work Environments
Professionals who excavate bones find employment across several distinct sectors, reflecting the varied applications of their scientific skills. A significant portion of archaeologists and paleontologists work in academia and museums, where they conduct primary research, publish findings, and teach the next generation of specialists.
Government agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service, employ staff to manage and protect cultural and natural resources on public lands. In the private sector, the largest employer for archaeologists is Cultural Resource Management (CRM) firms, which conduct legally mandated surveys and excavations before construction projects begin.
Salaries vary widely based on sector, experience, and degree level, but Ph.D.-level positions in academia or government often command higher pay. Job growth in these fields is generally stable, driven primarily by infrastructure projects requiring CRM work and the ongoing demand for faculty positions at universities.