Archaeology during that time was often done by amateurs who were wealthy enough to independently finance their operations. For example, Clarence Moore was able to excavate all over the world using money from a family business. He published his work in professional journals, including the Academy of Natural Sciences, and his work is still available in reprint and continues to be cited, even though he wasn't affiliated with a university.

(note: I reposted this after realizing the original was more of an anecdote. Sorry if my original one violated posting guidelines)