Magical Archaeologist
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Contents
Overview
Just like the job title states, magical archaeologists are wizards and witches who rediscover, research, and analyse magical artefacts and the lost culture of our ancestors. Since this job is predominantly self-taught, only the Ministry of Magicians, which has hired magical archaeologists since 1861, is allowed to appoint trustworthy people. Although training is provided, the ultimate goal is for everyone to find their own ways of working. There are three sub-roles within this career: Apprentice Archaeologists, Jr. Archaeologists, and Master Archaeologists.
Apprentice Archaeologist– Apprentice Archaeologists spend most of their time observing their mentors while excavating a new dig. The role also limits them from being able to travel within their respective country/state. Over time (or when comfortable), they are allowed to participate in the work themselves to gain hands-on experience, while still under the mindful eye of their mentor. Jr. Archaeologists– carrying over their experience, Jr. archaeologists tend to have a lot more freedom. They are allowed to analyse and research artefacts, travel outside of their designated region, and are assigned to solo digs. Master Archaeologists– Just like Jr. archaeologists do, master archaeologists carry over their previous knowledge and experience to this role. Additionally, with becoming a master, they will be given permission to test the magical properties of discovered artefacts themselves. Although this could be a risk factor, no deaths have ever been recorded from these tests.
Dating back to as early as 550 BCE, magical archaeologists have unearthed countless artefacts—such items can be found today in museums across the globe. This also includes mundane museums, to which only witches and wizards can see the magical essence radiating off these items. To name a few:
The First Iron Cauldron
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Discovered in the 15th century, this cauldron was the first of its kind to be unearthed. To the Unmagical world, it is seen as nothing more than a pot to cook with. However, to the magical eye, this cauldron emits a magical energy—drawing all those with abilities to it. Appearance-wise, it is quite rustic (as it has been ungrounded for centuries), with a circular, dull-coloured body, three prong legs, and a handle, which is curved, allowing it to be hung above a fire. |
Wolf Talisman
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Surrounded by Unmagical belongings, a magical talisman depicting a wolf was recovered in late 1768. This talisman in particular dates back to before the Iron Age, the exact year, however, is unknown. Made out of bronze and held by a macrame string, the talisman is a circular pendant with a yellow-coloured wolf engraved within the metallic circle. However, it is unknown as to what this was used for and by whom. |
Amongst the many items that have been discovered, signs of Unmagical and magical beings co-existing, as well as creating ancestral lines—have existed longer than originally thought. Although graves date back to the mid-13th century, some ancestral lines from this period have since vanished with little to no trace. Whether this is from a lack of children being born, or an incident occurring, such as the plague, wiping out several bloodlines. Proof of this can be found in Unmagical graves unearthed in 1730, with items only witches and wizards are able to obtain.
One grave in particular is that of the Conway family. Inside this family grave, many objects were recovered—magical archaeologists found items such as a medieval tankard, clothing, and weapons such as an axe and a crossbow. The most intriguing items, however, were a magical leather pouch and a set of magical earrings. Archaeologists assigned to this particular dig took these items into their own hands, in order to conduct intense research—hoping to understand what these items were used for.
After intense analysis, master archaeologists came to the conclusion that the leather pouch was used for medicinal purposes. The pouch itself was bottomless, never seeming to end. Inside the pouch, medical herbs (such as ginger, chamomile, and turmeric) were recovered. This led to the speculation that a member of the Conway family was a healer. The earrings, however, seemed to hold a magical aura similar to a protection charm. However, people were unable to identify the owner or true purpose of these earrings, which led to them being stored away with other similar artefacts to this present day.
Notable Characters
Arwin Jones
Arwin, born just before the 17th century, was on one of the first magical archaeologists teams to discover magical runes carved into a wooden structure—thought to be the remains of a house that once stood in the Yukon Territory. These runes would unlock the mystery of an ancient wizarding being, Izax Zitkus. Izax went down in history for being a dark sorcerer, practising dark magic and committing heinous crimes. Arwin had always known what career path he would take—the passion he had for this kind of work did not go unnoticed. This led to him being promoted from Jr. archaeologist to master archaeologist in four months, the fastest anyone has earned this rank.
Bryony Nunez
Born in the year 1603 in the town of Triana, Spain, Bryony had the pleasure of being the first female magical archaeologist in 1648. A lot of controversy came about because of this, as women during this time were not seen fit to work. Despite this, Bryony did not take it to heart. She continued to show the wizarding community, as well as the world, just how hard-working she was—this ultimately helped break the stigma of women being unable to work. Bryony became a popular figure within her town in Spain.
Orthur Prye
Orthur was born in 1974. His father was a magical archaeologist based in Cornwall, England. He would always bring Orthur along, as he loved to experience everything his father did. It was clear from a young age that Orthur wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. By the age of 20, Orthur had become an apprentice archaeologist—he was teamed up with his father, observing him further and participating in digs. Just short of a year after his initial hire, Orthur was promoted to Jr. archaeologist. During his time as Jr. archaeologist, he became the face of the company. How? Well, Orthur had unearthed something extremely rare, never to have been documented before. Many wizards and witches throughout the centuries speculated that this was not real, but just a myth. The item in question was a crystallised Kludde claw. Kluddes are said to be large black dogs, however, these creatures can shapeshift into multiple animals. They can be identified by a flickering blue flame circling around their head, as well as extremely sharp teeth and claws. Orthur had no idea what he had found until a Belgian local told him about the folklore.
Trivia
- You can attend a number of Magical Archaeology classes hosted by the Academics team.
- You can also attend Magical Career Exploration class to learn specifically about the role of a Magical Archaeologist and various other careers.
- There are a number of magical archaeology findings you can read more about, including The Tomb of Hattori Ayumu, Nisoij’s Treasure, Magisaurus Bone, The Golden Cauldron, Remains of the Battle of Eldham Ridge, and Yeti Bones.
