Hi all,
It's been a while since I've been here, so please forgive me for any hiccups in decorum. I'm currently an undergraduate study of ancient history, with a particular interest in the ancient Near East. Ideally, I would love to pursue a graduate degree and teach ancient Near Eastern history. However, I've spent the past few years of my education doing a sort of cost-benefit analysis of being a professor of Near Eastern history, and it just doesn't seem feasible for me, given the extensive training and the limited job market.
However, a professor recently suggested that I could potentially do Near Eastern antiquities law. She pointed out that this would likely be a fruitful career, given that various groups in the Middle East are unlawfully trading Near Eastern antiquities to fund their war/political efforts. I was wondering, then, if you all had any advice on this topic. Is Near Eastern antiquities law really a fruitful legal field? What are the requirements to practice this kind of law? My professor guessed that an MA in Near Eastern studies combined with a JD might be necessary, but neither of us are particularly sure. Any advice you guys can give would be extremely helpful!
That's a fascinating possibility! On a whim, I checked the Sootheby's team and filtered it for the Ancient Sculpture department. I'd recommend doing the same, and perhaps contacting one or two people who have relevant profiles on the site. You could try sending them a short message saying how you found them, who you are, what your interests are, and asking about their career paths or any recommendations. Alternatively, you could look into both local and internationally celebrated museums and try pinging a select few members of their staff.
A short email (perhaps 9 sentences or less? broken into short, easy-to-digest à-la-reddit paragraphs?) might be easily ignored, but you might also discover a few people who are happy to share their experience in what is assuredly a unique but also rarely-sought-for field. Good luck!