ABSTRACT
Professional archaeologists condemn anyone who excavates in an archaeological site without having had proper supervised training in excavation techniques. In the USA, historically, there have been some highs and lows with regard to the amount and nature of training for cultural resource managers at academic institutions over the past ten years. The supervised field excavation experience normally required of a student is not called an internship, but it is nevertheless required. Students are taught under supervision methods, techniques, applications of theory, and other approaches to recording and interpreting the archaeological record. In the case of the Society of Professional Archaeologists in the USA, after having met those basic and ‘traditional’ requirements, an individual must also apply for approval or certification in one or more specialized emphases: fieldwork, collection research, administration, teaching, and so on. Supervised experience is required in field excavation techniques, in underwater and historic archaeology emphases, but not in cultural research management.
