IAmA National Geographic archaeologist currently searching for a sunken palace in Central Asia. AMA

That's awesome. Do you ever feel like Indiana Jones? What did sheep eyes taste like?

Indy was afraid of snakes, but we've got a lot of snakes at the lake and they don't bother me. Sheep eyes: it's kind of like biting into a Blow-Pop: crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside--but not as tasty...

Please be honest - have you ever insisted that something belongs in a museum? :) If I were an archaeologist I'd do that all day, every day.

Every day, yo.

Are you currently attempting to get John Williams to compose a theme song for you?

Hah- waiting for Will.I.Am to craft my theme. You out there?

Archaeology is just one of my childhood dreams never meant to be. How do you decide which sites to go to?

Good question! It's all about connecting the dots--I'm fascinated by the Silk Road and we've heard about China and the Middle East but it's all about the places in between- that's where the coolest stories are.

So are you implying you will eventually travel to Afghanistan? I would love to learn more about its history, it is such an obscure country, yet it's smack-dab in the middle of everything regarding the Silk Road.

Been in Afghanistan- worked on some amazing stuff there- it is the center of the Silk Road

Never say never pokee2. You could retire at 65 and spend 20 more years digging up bones and cities.

Absolutely, there's always great volunteer opportunities on digs for people of any age- it's always out there!

Really? I had no idea! Could you link us to that?

Google "volunteer archaeology"- you can contribute to great research all around the world!

If you live around Texas there is the Gualt Site like an hour north of Austin. It is the world's largest paleolitich site. It has produced millions of artifact mostly chert. If paleo is your thing they are uncovering "pre-clovis" remains. I've excavated in the pit, wet shifted, and bagged and tagged. You can get a real experince, and I have only taken Intro to Archaeology.

Gault is a cool site- cool you worked there!

Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?

Def not in Kyrgyzstan.

thank you. now for a real question.

did you grow up wanting to dig stuff up and measure it with calipers?

what is your favorite locale that you've worked in so far?

Didn't know what a caliper was till I was 22.

Kyrgyzstan

how likely do you think you are to find the palace?

crossing fingers

Who was more badass, Tamerlane or Genghis Khan? From what I understand, Tamerlane conquered more territory than Khan but was one more ruthless or a better leader than the other?

Heh great question- Genghis was a nomad, Tamerlane lived in buildings builts by the world's best architects, so as an archaeologist I gotta lean toward the buildings-In terms of ruthlessnes? That can be pretty relative, depending on what side you're on.

As an archaeologist working in early h-g I'd always lean towards the nomad.

NINJA EDIT: Also a question. Where in south america have you worked?

Bolivia, Peru (Lake Titicaca)

Wanted to say I'm super jealous of you. I graduated with archaeology last December and couldn't find a job to save my life. I want to get my masters for underwater archaeology but I'm afraid with my new sales job (broker) I won't ever find the time to do it. Any advice for someone like me, either food underwater arch programs or places to look now for a career? And how do you get into working with Nat Geo? I me a journalist one time that works with the crab fishermen in Alaska, but I don't have journalism experience.

Edit: thank you everyone for the words of wisdom, ideas, support, and PMs! This is why I love reddit. Thank you all again and know that this doesn't go unappreciated!

Career advice? Archaeology isn't a job, it's a lifestyle that will dictate everything outside of the dig. If you're ready to dive in with both feet and be willing to sacrifice, you gotta go for it.

What got you interested in doing archaeology? What's the most exciting thing you've found so far?

Actually, I was interested in art & ended up doing drawings for archaeologists and thought it was so cool that I went back to school for archaeology. There's nothing like holding a 3000-year-old artifact in your hand!

Most exciting thing I ever found? I had the chance to excavate in Egypt, where everything is so dry that even ancient wood is preserved. In front of the door of a houst that was more than 800 years old, I found a key with the name of the owner on it--under the doormat!

This guy had plans should he lose his keys, more intelligent than me.

Which is why I love archaeology!

Hi Fred and team, I really need to know: what does an 800 year old doormat look like???

Omigod! You dig down through dirt and get down to a woven mat and you think, I can't believe I'm looking at this. It's ridiculous!

What is the strangest thing you've uncovered during your excavations?

Ah, good question...how about 6,000 year old toilets?

First of all, that sounds like the coolest job on the planet, and second of all, if all goes well and you find this palace, do you think that will give you the experience necessary to find the lost city of Atlantis?

It's pretty cool- I'm a very lucky guy but make sure I remind myself of that all the time. Atlantis? Gotta love legends- there's a bit of truth in every legend

Are you afraid that, when you find it, the ruler of the palace will attempt to rip your heart out with his bare hands?

Nah, I got snakes to worry about

Does a deep, high elevation lake such a Issyk Kul preserve artifacts better than a lake at a lower elevation? I would assume the oxygen content is somewhat lower in this lake and with it being so deep the sediment may not be disturbed nearly as easily.

has to do with sediment and lake enviro, not elevation- dark and cold is a key to preservation

HI Fred and team: What is the biggest surprise you've come across on this expedition? What is the average temperature of the water you're diving into?

Biggest surprise? Probably how excited everyone here is about the project- everyone seems to know about the legends of the lake and they're really into their ancient history

Avg water temp: about 60-ish. We wear 7mm suits, hoods, and still get pretty cold

I am a photography student, do you have Nat geo. Photographers with you? If so how difficult is it to document what your doing underwater and above?

Right now we have a great photographer- see BradVest.com-- and he is able to capture moments that absolutely fly by the rest of us. He's amazing and works just as hard as everyone else here.

was just really inspired from this guys work. thank you

Isn't he great?

Is it hard not being ethnocentric while traveling and did Gary Busey inspire you to be who you are today?

You're always a bit ethnocentric when you travel- it's human nature to identify with what you're used to- the key is being able to recognize that and try to transcend it..

How much money do you make a year? Don't get me wrong, I'd be wayyyy more excited about the traveling, digging, exploring aspect of this job than the money - but I'm just curious about the pay for something like this.

Do you take any pictures of the sites that get published in the magazine?

Thanks!

I didn't get into this for the $$$, but I'm supporting a family and doing what I love- I'm a very lucky guy.

The blow pop analogy made me cringe. How did you get into such a position? Ive always been told that working for Nat Geo is an extremely difficult thing to do. Have you always wanted to be an archaeologist?

Sheep eyes are considered a delicacy in this part of the world for guests, so it's an honor to be offered one.

Have I always wanted to be an archaeologist? See reply above. Nat Geo is an amazing place to work.

What is your opinion on the ancient aliens show?

I get offended on behalf of our ancient ancestors every time somebody's like "humans couldn't have done that."

Me too! We can pull off some amazing stuff when we put our minds to it.

which one? :)

All of 'em, do any of them actually present valid, logical evidence to support their hypotheses?

look, humans are pretty damn smart. No reason to look to aliens for answers

• Dear Dr. Fred Hiebert ,
• 
  
• ALIENS
• 
  
• Sincerely,
• The History Channel

cough good one

If you find a sweet sword, can I have it?

Nope, 'cause IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM! :)

How much do local politics affect your work? Do you have to include bribes in your expedition budget? Have you ever had a run-in with corrupt officials, holding your gear or documents hostage until they received payment?

That's everywhere in the world and it's all relative, whether it's sitting down for three pots of tea and formalities or filling out forms etc

Does Natational Geographic really say "we publish pictures, not excuses" when you're on deadline?

Also, if an amazingly talented travel photographer wanted to working with NatGeo travel, what would you recommend as a first step?

Never heard the excuses line from my bosses- it's just about doing the best work you can in the field.

How do you feel about the theory that there were advanced civilizations prior to 10,000 BC? i.e. Göbekli Tepe in Turkey

Gotta love Göbekli- we'd love more sites like that!

As a fellow archaeologist, I'd like to know how you started working with National Geographic ? Thank you.

I applied for grants through their exploration committee- best way to start!

What excites you the most about archaeology?

You know, everything that we don't know is open to discovery, and the answers are always ultimately out there- we just need to figure out the right places to look.

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Be willing to travel anywhere, talk to everyone and eat everything. Sorry if it may sound trite, but adaptability everywhere is key

What discovery of yours has surprised you the most?

Surprised? In terms of looking at the past, probably how much humans have changed the environment around them so that they can live in some really extreme places. So amazing....

Do you ever worry about booby traps?

Nope, worry more about being trapped on a rural bus for 10 hours with a bad stomach.

What's the worst or least pleasant part of your job?

So, you've seen Indiana Jones. It's just like that except that Indy never has to:

-apply for $$ -apply for permits to dig -cook his own food -write reports -poop outside a yurt

Awesome! Hey Dr. Hiebert, what has been the hardest challenge so far as an archeologist in the east? Does your background hinder you at all? And what's so significant about this palace? Any treasure?

I've worked in the desert for the last 25 years on the Silk Road, but working underwater now is an amazing challenge. Background is never a hindrance if you're willing to live like the locals and respect their traditions. Treasure? Not that there's any here, but we still learn a hell of a lot more from humble bricks and pottery than we would from any fancy stuff.

What is the most interesting thing you've ever found?

the wooden key- see above!

Do you enjoy the underwater exploration more or less than your average exploration?

It's not as hot, but getting into a cold wetsuit every day isn't something I'm always looking forward to- but once in the water floating over an archaeological site is the most unbelievable experience I've ever had- it's like dreams of flying!

Here I am sitting in my underwear while browsing reddit and munching on some doritos.

Don't have doritos in Kyrgyzstan- kinda jealous

Hey Dr., just a quick question, when you went back to school for archaeology did you focus on a certain (if there are) type or region, or was it just archaeology in a broad sense of the term? Either way, as a traveler, not necessarily just an architect, what has been one of your favorite locations to visit?

I studied ancient trade: how people interacted and what they thought was valuable- fyi I ended up teaching a course on ancient economics to business students

How deep are you guys diving? It looks like it could be anywhere from just beneath the surface to some significant depths. Do you feel like you are at the palace? or in some sort of settlement related to a similar time. Do you have any thoughts on the Bosnian Pyramid?

Anywhere from 1cm of h20 to 20m. The site is all over the place.

How much of your travel is assigned by the magazine and how much is freelance/contract? If you could lead an excavation anywhere, where would it be and why?

We do our projects based on what's important in terms of science- hopefully the story is cool enough to be told in the mag, on tv etc.

If I could lead an excavation anywhere: it's kinda hard to top where I am right now. Then again, the next project is always the best one :)

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Atlantis no- not as sexy. But we have historical accoutns as well as achaeological evidence.

Pro-tips for travel? Sleep well on plane, because you need to hit the ground running

What are the worst conditions that you have had to face while out doing a job?

1) sandstorms 2)bombings 3)110-degree heat 4) -30-degree cold 5) grumpy officials 6) snakes

What is one thing that, if found, would change our knowledge the most?

Writing is the main thing- can we figure out Linear A, for instance? Or the ancient Indus script?