A digger or an academic

In one of Jeffery Archer's Prison Diary books (written ca. 2002) he asks a fellow inmate, a PhD student, whether he is "a digger or an academic".

What is the meaning of "digger" in this context? I see occasional use of the term "goal digger", an obvious play on "gold digger", presumably someone who just wants collect the credential versus one who intends to pursue a career in academia.

Would that be a correct guess as to the meaning?

Solution 1:

It seems to refer to archeologists, anthropologists, etc that collate data coming from the field, as opposed to those actually gathering data in the field.

'Diggers' go out into the field with a small shovel, pick and various sized brushes to find new (fresh*) stuff, while 'academics' mostly sit in comfortable air-conditioned labs analyzing the data...

Diggers are on 'digs' most of the year, doing the dusty back-breaking excavations, while many academics go on digs only once a year, or when on sabbatical.

Although the cooperation between the 2 groups is essential for scientific reasons, there is often a certain rivalry and sometimes a mutual disdain; hence the "whether he is 'a digger or an academic'".

*fresh means right out of the ground, no matter its position in history.