“Archaeologist: someone whose career lies in ruins”

A popular archaeology pun is:
   
“Daffynishion: Archaeologist — Someone whose career lies in ruins.”
 
The joke has been cited in print since at least 1963.
   
   
Google Books
September 1963, Boys’ Life, “Think and Grin,” pg. 86, col. 3:
Daffynishion: Archaeologist — A man whose career lies in ruins. — Barry Calder, Visalia, Calif.
 
30 September 1963, Austin (TX) Statesman, “Fun Time—The Riddle Box,” pg. 22, col. 5:
What is an archaeologist?
A man whose career lies in ruins.
   
19 July 1965, Greensboro (NC) Record, “Jumble” scrambled word game, pg. A13, col. 4:
Answer: What happened to the career of the archaeologist turned playboy—IT LAY IN RUINS
 
Google Books
November 1966, Boys’ Life, “Think and Grin,” pg. 90, col. 1:
Daffynishion: Archaeologist — A man whose career lies in ruins. — Doug Day, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
   
Google Books
Funny You Should Ask:
How to Make Up Jokes and Riddles with Wordplay
By Marvin Terban
New York, NY: Clarion Books
1992
Pg. 57:
Bill: (crying) My career lies in ruins.
Phil: (laughing) Mine too.
Bill: Then why are you so happy?
Phil: I’m an archaeologist!
   
Google Books
Crazy Classroom Joke Book
By John Byrne
New York, NY: Puffin Books
2001
Pg. ?:
Pupil: I don’t mind what job I get as long as it’s not being an job archaeologist.
Careers Teacher: What’s wrong with being an archaeologist?
Pupil: As soon as I started, my career would be in ruins.
 
Google Books
Dude, Got Another Joke?
By Bob Phillips
Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers
2002
Pg. 167:
Daffy Dictionary
Archaeologist: A scientist whose career lies in ruins.
 
Google Books
Get Thee to a Punnery:
An Anthology of Intentional Assaults Upon the English Language
By Richard Lederer
Layton, UT: Wyrick and Company
2006
Pg. 72:
Archaeologist. A man whose career lies in ruins.
 
Twitter
martim weinstein
‏@martim
Archaeologist: A man (or woman) whose career lies in ruins.
5:10 AM - 5 Sep 2008
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Archaeology. A career in ruins
Author: Paul Graves-Brown
Edition/Format: Article Article : English
Publication: Archaeological Dialogues, v18 n02 (20111226): 168-171
Database: CrossRef
 
Google Books
The Mammoth Book of Really Silly Jokes
By Geoff Tibballs
London: Constable & Robinson Ltd
2011
Pg. 156:
Whose career lies in ruins?
An archaeologist.
 
reddit
Why is the archaeologist sad?
submitted January 7, 2016 by g0vern0r
Because his career is in ruins.