After fashionably arriving one week late, I have learned a lot after my first week here in Turkey. Regarding archaeology, I first and foremost learned that I missed the most enjoyable part of preparing for excavation—clearing rocks, weeds, roots, and whatever else the landscape may bring! I’ve also learned that being surrounded by a great group of people makes archaeology and excavation vert enjoyable.My unit has learned together, laughed together, and created a lot of lore together. I never imagined I would be able to identify bones from pottery from anodized clay from all of the dirt and rocks.
Archaeological work has been fascinating to me because of its ability to support or alter a theory about what happened at Antiochia in the past. My group loves to theorize about what could have happened in our unit, coming up with theories such as a grave and a “drinking countertop,” as we continue to excavate. The current theory for our part of the site is that a fire occurred, and we have found evidence of that due to the charcoal, mortar, and anodized clay that we have uncovered in our unit. I look forward to seeing what this week of excavation uncovers!
