Working on the dig site this week has been incredibly challenging and rewarding. The labor itself is very hard: days at the site are exhausting, bringing sore muscles and a desperate need to nap on the bus back. That being said, I have learned to appreciate these growing pains. The work has made me stronger and brought us together. I have already noticed new muscle tone, as well as higher energy levels. (Who knew working out for six hours everyday could make you healthier?) Secondly, the work has made us closer. The days spent in our unit are passed with personal conversation, inside jokes, and elaborate expressions of creativity. Even though it’s only been a few days since we began working together, I feel close to my teammates and am happy to call them my friends. I appreciate their company as we work side by side “in the trenches.”
I’ve also definitely realized that field archaeology is not a discipline for the faint of heart. From my own personal experience, it has been equal amounts hands-on and conceptual. Academic theory gives context to the daily work, but boulder throwing and scorpion wrangling have been just as important in my daily life as hypotheses and technical calculations. A real field archaeologist gets involved to work on the problem, and isn’t afraid to get dirty. After all, it’s a sign you’re doing your job!
I want to finish off with the comment that Antiochia is an amazing city. The people here are very kind, and after touring around Sapadere Canyon, Pirate’s Cove, and the Gazipaşa Highland Festival, I have fallen in love with this place. I had such a good time swapping playlists with the Turkish students and dancing with them on the bus yesterday. I’m excited to listen to more of the music they recommended! I also can’t seem to get enough of the food, since most of the money I spent at the festival was on kebabs, Turkish ice cream, street corn, and churros. Even staring out the window is breathtaking because you can see glimpses of ruins underneath the modern city. Antiochia has a deep and complex history, but that is by no means the most important thing about it. It has kept moving, growing, and evolving over time, and its people are what make it special to me. I’m looking forward to what happens in week three!