During this trip I focused on learning many archeological techniques. I also tried hard to learn as much of the history of the place we are uncovering as I could, constantly asking different professors about their finds and what they meant, as well as pondering about my own finds. This was a particularly difficult and interesting thing to learn, as so much of it is just hypothesis that keep changing every day and several times a day as new information is uncovered.
Tying into that, though I have warm memories from the whole project, one of my most memorable experiences is finding the Medusa pendant. It was the last day of working on the small bath and everyone was in a rush, working overtime and without breaks. Finding this pendant was a joy to everyone and really proved that we were not working in vain. And despite the simplicity of the material it is made of – clay – this is one of the most interesting finds from that unit.
After big trips others, and we ourselves, raise the question of how it has changed our perspective. This time, however, I struggle to find an answer. Some smaller things have come into perspective or my opinion on them may have changed, but I don’t feel like my understanding of things has made a huge turn-around. Perhaps that is my new realization: that I now know enough about archeology, study abroad and foreign countries to be able to accurately envision and prepare myself for projects abroad.
I would recommend future participants of this program to pack everything that is on the list, but also to consider their own needs. I, for example, get sunburned very easily and therefore wore long pants and long-sleeved shirts the entire time. Most people turned away from long pants as soon as they could, for some reason deeming them uncomfortable, but this is my reminder to focus on yourself first before looking at what the others are doing. Another thing that is not mentioned on the list is to bring two types of work clothes: one for the dig and one for the pottery and bone washing. Here is where you’d want shorts and and a T-shirt, as water gets spilled and wet dirt inevitably gets sprayed on everyone. So even though you have just showered after returning from the dig, it is not time to put on clean clothes, but rather to get dressed in your other work clothes and get dirty again.
Though I have greatly enjoyed this program, I have mixed feelings about whether I would join another archeological expedition. Being the first to uncover a find and to see things in situ is great, but I have also noticed myself gravitating towards finer work such as the technical drawing for pottery and an interest in the conservationists’ work on the small finds. What I do know for sure is that I will continue to study history, and I will allow the circumstance determine what form that will take.