Looking back on my experience in Turkey on the long plane ride home, I realized that I have learned so much not only about archaeology, but about working efficiently with a team and traveling and living in a foreign country. It was hard to see how much I truly learned about field work until I looked back and read my notebook and heard what everyone had to say about their trenches in our wrap-up discussion on the last day. I never thought I would learn to identify stones and soil and pottery just by looking at them, but I know all of that now and so much more. Plus, working with the same 3 people in a trench for 6 hours every day really teaches you how to get along with others and work efficiently, and I think that was one of the most valuable things I learned at Antiochia. On another note, I also learned where to find the best schnitzel in Gazipasa, and how to do laundry in a bucket. This project definitely changed my perspective on studying abroad and living in a different country, in a town not often frequented by tourists (especially non-English speaking tourists). After getting over the initial communication struggles, I realized that it made for a more unique experience, and it really felt like we were immersed in Turkish culture. This was even more obvious after visiting Alanya and Antalya, where they cater specifically to tourists. I am thankful that we got to experience real Turkish city and were welcomed as both members of the Gazipasa community and the Güney village.
That also leads me to my most memorable experience, when we were invited to the celebration in the village the last weekend. It was so wonderful that they opened up their tight knit community to us and welcomed us as friends and fellow workers and preservers of Antiochia.
My advice to any other students who go to the field school would be to learn some Turkish before hand and becomes friends with the Turkish students as soon as possible. It was so fun the last week or so when we could communicate a little better and understand each other more. Also, eat as much baklava, ice cream and bread as physically possible because you will never find better.
I think it would be amazing to work at another archaeological site somewhere else in the world from a totally different time period, just because knowing about the history of a region gives so much insight into the state of the region in the present, and widens your perspective on so many different aspects of the place and it’s past. I had a great experience at Antiochia and it would be so cool to be able to do it again.