Archeology

This seemed like the appropriate board to ask on. Does anyone know exactly how to go about starting work in the archeology field without a diploma? I currently don't have the means to earn a diploma. I'm not talking about the stuff that obviously requires a diploma like being an actual archeologist but I've always wanted to work on digs and be of use helping to perserve history. I'm wonder if anyone can direct me to paid or voluntary work in this field. I've googled around but mostly get the usual job stuff that doesn't really help much.

If you live in a place with actual archaeological legislation you're fucked, even in my third world country assistants tend to be students, and maybe locals if the excavation's too big. Maybe try to volunteer on an archaological park or get a guide diploma (if archaeologists and historians in your country aren't so poor that they also do this).

Just dig shit up yourself in your free time.

Any amateur fossil hunters on Veeky Forums?

Isn't that illegal?
Not that I care

Oh I probably should have mentioned I am from America. So my best bet would probably be just waiting until I am able to become a student to try to get into it? I always assumed the laborers they hire were typically natives instead of paying to fly out a bunch of people just to dig.

Not on private property

Not illegal. Unless you are trespassing to do it or some shit. My uncle used to do it all the time. Had a lot of interesting shell fish fossils.

They hire mostly natives, but i'm pretty sure that in a country with 300 million people and a lot of tertiary education like the US they can find archaeology students almost everywhere (maybe not Alaska or some other state not so densely populated).

In Europe are they constantly finding ancient stuff all over the place?