There have been both many similarities and many differences when comparing Turkey to my home of Minnesota. To start with, the language barrier is a difference, though not as much of a challenge to overcome as I’d previously thought it would be. Similarly, the food is different, though delicious, and since I tend to be a bit of a picky eater, I was surprised at the fact that I’ve liked almost all of the foods that I’ve tried here. The heat is also much different than what I’m used to. Yet despite these differences, being surrounded by my friends from St. Olaf and having been in similarly hot and humid conditions before, I sometimes have to remind myself that I’m actually halfway around the globe from home.
A lot of what I know now that I didn’t a week ago relates to the actual archaeological work that we have been undertaking. I’ve not only learned the basics of clearing and excavating a dig site, but also how to identify and properly catalogue pottery fragments, bone shards, and other various artifacts that have been recovered, which I was really excited about. Another thing I learned was how to endure intense physical labor in extreme heat for long periods of time, which is useful to know that I am able to adapt to such extreme conditions than I am used to so quickly.
