Since we first began working at the dig site last Monday, I have learned a lot about archeology. Going into this trip, I was expecting not to find many artifacts in the soil. However, since we started excavating, we are constantly finding pottery, bones, and other objects scattered throughout our unit. There is even a lot of broken pottery just sitting on top of the ground all over the site. After speaking to some of the older and more experienced workers here, I learned that this abundance of artifacts is not common at most other digs around the world. This is a great place to work because you are always finding something new, which makes the work more enjoyable.
I have also learned more about Antiochia ad Cragum, the city that we are working in. When we first started there, I could not imagine how all of the various ruins were connected or what the city would have looked like in the past. Since then, we have received a few site tours and I have had some questions answered about the city. Now that I know the function of each of the standing buildings and what was once between them, I can better imagine what the city would have looked like. Excavating the domestic building also makes it easier for me to imagine what it would be like to live in the city because I can get a feel for what it was actually like to live there, not just what it would be like to visit the bath house or the market. I’m sure that my understanding of the city and archeology will continue to improve over the course of the next two weeks.
