Of the things I’ve learned here, the one of utmost importance is to never trust a Burger King until at least one person has gone there and not suffered the consequences. On a more serious note I’ve learned more about Turkish culture and archeology as a whole, now having a better understanding and appreciation for them both. For archeology, the importance of physical labor became much more present. In order to prepare the site for more precise work a multitude of debris and plants has to be removed, mostly by hand and pickaxe. It is only after this hard work is done that the area can be split into sections and goals assigned, and even after this more work is required to remove large rocks and buckets of dirt. While this work can be quite tiring it is also quite satisfying to see what it amounts to at the end of each day. From this my grasp on archeology has only grown more in depth with the time spent here in Turkey.
I think my most memorable experience while here would have to be the different field trips we have gone on each weekend, especially the festival in the mountains. This trip in particular allowed me to better bond with other participants and also try a large quantity of Turkish foods. There was also a wide variety of different vendors with a wide variety of wares that I wish I had gotten more of. So while this one offered a larger insight into Turkish culture, the other ones offered more insight into the historical elements we came here to research, and so I consider all of them to be quite memorable.
The project has definitely changed my thoughts on Turkey and what I had known about this country and its culture. Originally I had known very little about Turkish culture, only really knowing a bit of its early history and recent world events. But from my time here I have come to greatly appreciate the kindness of the locals and their customs. They often take great interest in where we are from, even stopping us on the streets to have a simple conversation and practice their English. They have also managed to deal with the hassle of us always needing to use Google translate or speak in broken Turkish, doing so with gusto. This experience has helped me better understand Turkey and its people, leaving me with a desire to eventually return here and experience it once again.
The first piece of advice I would give to a future participant is to be prepared before going to the site, both with the right equipment and the right mentality towards the work. To work best they will have to make sure the equipment they brought is enough and also useful, with some things like quality boots and gloves taking precedence over smaller things that may not be used. Along with this the person should be prepared for the mental and physical toil that awaits them. For our group I think a decent chunk may not have fully known why they were signing up, and while most adapted, it was still a long process. In regards to this mental and physical preparation for the work is something that I would strongly suggest a potential candidate to accomplish before coming to the dig site.
If given another chance to do another archeology excavation, I would do so in a heartbeat. The work here was tough but fair and satisfying. I was able to meet a wide variety of people of various backgrounds and future goals. They were all a pleasure to work with and made the labor enjoyable. It was also quite great to experience life in a different country and interact with the people in it. Altogether, if the opportunity arises to work at another excavation site or at Antiochia again I would definitely have to try and do it once more.
