Jayshree Mungur-Medhi, an archaeologist in her late twenties, is of the opinion that Archaeaology is a very interesting field of study which demands considerable hard work, patience and the zeal to keep learning and updating one's knowledge.

“It is a subject which requires non-stop study. It is nothing like you are done with your studies, and you only have to exercise your job,” she says.

Archaeology is a passion which Jayshree lives in her daily life. “It is a different and dynamic field which requires lots of hard work. However, at the end of the day, I am very content for I would not have been able to adapt to routine work,” she says.

Her job allows her the possibility to travel a lot. Despite keeping busy and having to make many compromises in her everyday life, the job instigates her to go forward.
The study of Archeology has helped Jayshree develop her per­sonality. It has changed her very perception of life. For instance, she has been a vegetarian for nine years. While travelling abroad, seeing poverty, she realised that there are many people who are having to make do with what they can lay hands on.
“For them, it is a matter of survival.

You can't be choosy when you don't have the choice,” she says.
 According to her, Archaeology is one such domain which helps people get developed. She believes that the Mauritian educational system doesn’t provide the upcoming generations with the necessary assets to become good citizens.  It was during her last year at the University of Mauritius (UoM) that she came to know more about Archaeology.

“So far I had been coming across it via the television. While I was completing my degree course in the Humanities, History and Hindi, I got the chance to attend a crash course in Archaeology, dispensed by the Dutch archaeologist Peter Fore,” she says.

She even went to work with him at the Fort Frederic Hendrick. Later on, she met the Indian archaeologist Amitava Choudhury who told her about the Deccan College, Pune, India, one of the best in Asia for Archaeology. She obtained the help of the archaeologist in carrying out the procedures. Within a fortnight, she was in India, starting her Masters in Archaeology.

Back to Mauritius, she brought in her contribution to the Apravasi Ghat Trust Fund, in 2003. Four years later, she was offered the Eramus Mundus scholarship by the European Union. She thus got the opportunity to pursue her studies in Archaeology, in Portugal. She has specialised in Archaeometry, and is presently doing her doctorate in the same discipline.

Her experience taught her that it is mostly women who embark on archaeological studies. But, it is the male segment who most often go ahead with it, as a career. There are several reasons which explain this disparity, like the absence of familial support, the lack of financial means and the responsibility rate that falls on her shoulders. “Nevertheless, women should not be doubtful of their capabilities. Altogether, familial support and the woman's own aptitudes count a lot,” she says.

Jayshree describes Archaeology as very vast. There are several branches like archaeobotany, archaeochemistry, archeozoology and archeogeology. It encapsulates Science, Medicine, Art, History amongst others. “I encourage women to take up this interesting stu­dy of Art, back in the past,” she says.