Physical Danger
Archaeology is a dangerous profession, but not because you can get cursed by a mummy. The myth first originated with the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922. The expedition's sponsor, Lord Carnarvon, died shortly after its discovery. He probably died of blood poisoning and not in a mummy's stranglehold. Or did he?
If you wind up becoming a professor or a museum curator, your primary job isn't so risky. However, most archaeologists conduct fieldwork in adventurous locales, like tropical forests, blistering deserts, and underwater shipwrecks.
Harsh environmental conditions are no fun to work in and can be perilous. Intense heat, freezing temperatures, and high winds can make you yearn to work in a cube farm. Not to mention wild animals, snakes, spiders, and scorpions who aren't fond of you poking around in their dirt.
Depending on where you dig, you might risk getting a sprained ankle, poison ivy, Lyme disease, valley fever, malaria, or the dreaded Montezuma's revenge. Don't worry, your crew chief probably has just what you need in the first aid kit.