My physical limits have definitely expanded from where they were a week ago, I have noticed myself not needing as much water and generally feeling much more adjusted to the heat. Working in Turkey has definitely been hard, but it’s been a great experience to push myself and learn about my limits. I have also learned that pottery sherds are more exciting than I would have guessed, some of my favorite moments while excavating have been when I was quickly able to identify a piece of pottery that last week I would have easily confused for a rock. In addition, I also think I have gotten better at learning quickly, to my surprise I was able to figure out how to recognize bones the same day I started finding them.
Since the first day I have learned a lot more about what archaeological work actually feels like. Going into this internship I was unsure how I’d be able to handle the physical work, and while it has definitely been an adjustment, the work has gotten easier and fun. Last week I wrote about being surprised by how hard moving wheelbarrows is, and while it is still difficult for me, I have also noticed that I’m less tired after emptying one than I was at the start of last week. I’ve also learned more about how the environment influences archaeological work. Last week I talked about how people would be frustrated by the plants at Antiochia in the future, however I did not know the plants and rocks would not stop being frustrating to me. We’ve cleared the big roots, but sometimes roots I didn’t know were there, particularly small roots show up. I’ve also learned that archaeology takes time, and that oftentimes the answer to a question is more questions. At some point I might have found it frustrating that there was no clear answer, but now I like this perspective. It feels good to know that I do not need to have all the answers quickly, and that it is possible to reconsider what I previously thought. I have also learned about the importance of taking notes and pictures, both for my benefit as well as that of anyone else that may study Antiochia ad Cragum in the future. I like that even though archaeology is ultimately about the past, it also takes into account the future.
I think that since the first day I have come to better understand how Antiochia functioned as a city. When I first got here it was easy for me to think of the different parts of the site as being physically close to each other, but generally isolated. However, being there every day, particularly walking from breakfast to the Acropolis has made me feel more connected to Antiochia as a whole. While I’ve known since I got here that the walk I take to my unit everyday was also taken everyday by people two thousand years ago, it feels a lot more real now than it did two weeks ago, which I think has given me a better understanding what Antiochia felt like to the people who lived there.
The excavation has gone by very quickly. It feels weird that we are already half way done, it feels like I just got here and still have a lot to learn. One month of excavation sounds like a lot, but each day goes by quickly, so that one month ends up feeling very short. I hope that in the next two weeks I will continue to learn, and also continue to make progress in my unit.