Week 2. I–and most everyone else–am physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. However, I feel I have thrown myself fully into this experience, and have learned a lot by doing so. I have learned that archaeology is teamwork– working together physically to dig, clear and articulate walls, remove obstructions, etc.; but also, working together intellectually– collaborating to interpret finds, to decide how best to use our time, and to lay out our most productive next steps. Our process hasn’t necessarily been a fast one, but I suppose that’s the nature of good archaeology; it’s not a race to the finish line, it’s careful and attentive excavation every step of the way. Tim mentioned this evening that as archaeologists, we owe it to the life of the unit to find and document everything we can– I’m learning that it’s not possible to offer that kind of respectful attention with a backhoe and a single-track mind. All in all, I am proud of myself, my team, and am proud of the work we’ve been able to accomplish these first two weeks.
One thing that’s really been on my mind this past week is just how much ancient and modern coincide here. If you go just down the road from our site, you’ll find a small community tucked away into the mountainside, built on the same land that humans have occupied for centuries. The roads we use everyday are the same roads that the Romans used. The landscape and natural life is the same now as it has been for thousands of years, and will be for thousands of years more. Things may be modern here– roads are paved, houses have satellite t.v., etc.– but nothing is new. This land has watched generations of humans live and pass, build and rebuild, grow, modernize, and create since the first humans settled here. It’s the same with the structures we’re excavating; Antiochia has been standing since about 41 C.E., and its structures have seen and done it all. Our area, which we believe was originally a house, seems to have been rebuilt and repurposed lord knows how many times and in how many ways. Like the land itself, our structure has seen humans come and go; it has been reformed and reshaped, and has served as protection and support for generations. Ultimately, the people who live on this land and we who are working here are just an iteration of what this place has seen time and again; and to me, that is a humbling and comforting thought. It really is an honor to be a moment in this place’s story.