Pursuing a doctoral in Archaeology in the midst of a pandemic: a state of incertitude and quandary

In September 2021, it will be three years since I enrolled for my PhD program. Normally, I'd be expected to be somewhere in the middle of completing my research or nearing towards the end of it. When I joined the course, I was determined to submit my thesis in three and a half years maximum. Now before I write anything else, let me first tell you about my topic of research. The subject that I have chosen to work on is not employed in mainstream archaeological application in India. At the time of applying I was very well aware of this fact and looked at it as a challenge that I thought I could take on (I still think I can). So you see, the research subject already had its limitations when I enrolled. It took me a good one and a half year to find a collaboration to get my samples processed into data that I could analyse. This collaboration I found at a department in Delhi University. I travelled there with the soil samples in February 2020 and prepared them for the initial stage. Due to lack of required laboratory set-up, I had to resort to a procedure that would demand sun-drying of the soil samples for a few months. The COVID-19 pandemic set in, and a lockdown that would last almost six to seven months was imposed country-wide in March 2020. Since then, I continued to read articles, make notes and do whatever little work that was possible without data at hand. In the month of November things began to look on a brighter side and I was hoping that by January 2021 the spread of COVID-19 will have been brought under check. Introduction of vaccinations was even more delightful as it gave me great hopes of going to Delhi and getting permission to continue my sample preparation in a matter of next three months or so. But as it turned out, I celebrated too soon as instead of subduing the cases in the country spiked (due to reasons we are all aware of). 

As I write this, it is already the month of May and I do not have the slightest idea of when the situation will improve to the extent that students will be permitted to work at an inter-university level again. The past few weeks have been nothing short of stressful and anxiety-filled. Of course I am grateful to be alive and live a decent life. Don't get me wrong, I am abundantly grateful and I feel blessed to be so fortunate. But I have been contemplating the fragility of a profession as mine. There are hundreds of professions like archaeology where there is a meagre job guarantee even in the usual situations. But with this pandemic, I can only imagine how all of us are questioning our choices and fearing what the future holds for us. I wanted to write this down for so many other researchers like myself who are struggling with questions related to their future and their career. If you are an existing doctoral fellow or just someone going through similar feelings, I see you and I hear you. We are in this together. I am not going to lie to you, the next couple years are going to be difficult, but please make it through. Believe in your goals and trust that this too shall pass. I can understand that many of you must be under the pressure of earning a livelihood. Try starting small businesses from home such as providing tiffin services, tutoring kids, teaching dance or yoga online, conducting workshops, etc. related to your field or hobby. You can also look at jobs outside your field. I know it is easier said than done but we gotta make do with what we have. You can always get back to your research in a safer time. I am looking forward to resuming my research as and when it will be feasible and I am not feeling as much worried about the timeline anymore as it is honestly not under my control. Till then, I have made up my mind to develop this blog and do other things that would give me a sense of being productive. 

I would also like to do my bit for aspirants who are thinking of pursuing a doctoral in this field by asking them to keep their plans on hold for a couple years or till we are safely out of the pandemic. In the meanwhile, they can do ground research, collect data if they are working on literary and published evidence and try to gauge the scope of their research. They could also try getting jobs at places such as museums or online teaching platforms, venture into entrepreneurship or basically anything where they don't have to rely on fieldwork or laboratories to gather data. 

I realise this is beginning to sound like a Ted-talk kind of a write up so I will stop here. I just really wanted to express my thoughts and maybe also reach out to others who are feeling dismayed by everything happening around. Do comment and share your thoughts and also do feel free to rant about your work if you feel the need. Hang in there, we'll be alright! 

Cheers,

B.