We’ve officially spent one full week living and working in Turkey, and it has certainly been an eventful one. Through every experience since my arrival, there has been one common throughline: it is really, really hot. I didn’t think it was possible to still be dripping with sweat at eleven o’clock at night, long after the sun had set. I also never thought I’d find myself yearning for a Minnesota winter, but there hasn’t been a single moment on this trip that I would not faceplant into a pile of snow if it appeared before me. Granted, I have a very low heat tolerance, and I certainly can’t claim that the heat was unexpected, but the warnings I received didn’t do it justice.
Despite the heat, the city is beautiful, and everyone has been very friendly. One thing that stuck out to me is how trusting people are. On my first day here, I found myself at the beach with some of the Americans from the first session, and I was surprised to see them leave all of their belongings on the unsupervised beach chairs while they swam, including their phones and wallets. I was naturally hesitant to do the same, but they explained that everyone does it and that nothing had ever been stolen from them in Gazipasa. I would never in a million years let my phone or wallet out of my sight in America, but I have had no issues leaving my stuff on a table here to take a quick dip in the Mediterranean. That general air of trust and honesty is one of the biggest cultural differences I’ve experienced so far.
I’ve also learned a lot in the week since my arrival. I am genuinely terrible at learning languages, but I’ve tried to learn (and retain) at least one Turkish word every day, and I am happy to report that I’ve been successful thus far. My favorite word as of right now is “taş,” which means “stone.” We call it out every time we find a rock during pottery washing, which we then get to chuck over the fence, so it’s naturally quite fun to say. I’ve also learned a lot about the history of the region. One particular thing I find interesting is the area’s history with piracy. During our tour of Selinus, Dr. Hoff explained that most of the structures on top of the mountains–those that the pirates would flee to–have yet to be excavated. I hope that changes one day, as it would be fascinating to see what was left behind, especially if it was indeed where the pirates sought refuge. Of course, our current dig site is also extremely interesting. It’s really cool to be able to see all of the work done by St Olaf students in the previous years. My group is still on the surface, but we have already found many pieces of pottery and several roof tiles. I also found a small shard of ancient glass and a decidedly less ancient shotgun shell, so I am excited to see what more we can find as we keep on digging.