Do you ever imagine the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, content at home alone, not thinking too much of the world outside, until some weird wizard comes around saying “I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone” (from The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien) and suddenly joining a part of a party of 13 dwarves and the aforementioned weird wizard which travels across their known world to reclaim dwarvish gold from a dragon, battle orcs for revenge, and find friendship through it all? Or is that just me? I know dwarvish gold and orcs aren’t likely experiences in Gazipasa, but I am very very excited to start an adventure that I didn’t even consider as an option before Dr. Howe (the aforementioned weird wizard in this metaphor) mentioned this program in class. In addition to the archaeological work we will be doing, I am so very excited to work with students from around the world, taste new foods, and experience the Mediterranean summer to its fullest (even though I fear I may melt like ice cream on blacktop). I hope on the first day before the dig starts we will get to spend some time getting to know the students from other universities, maybe at the beach or over dinner. I also think it would be really fun to simply explore the town, go to the beach, and recover from jetlag before the work begins.
Knowing only what has been in the readings regarding the historical context of the region and the architectural styles, I find it very hard to decide what I’m most excited to see for myself. I am very excited to see the landscape that made it ideal as a place for pirates to thrive and military powers to move inland. I imagine the land has changed quite a bit, but I am curious if there are any particular landmarks that made this site strategically useful to pirates, Romans, and Antiochians. Additionally I am excited to see what remains of the ancient homes. A particular interest for me is in the decorations’ materials. With it being on the sea, I am curious if there was a fair amount of imported materials or if the majority were local– and if the local materials are still available for use or if they have been used up completely. My curiosity regarding the materials stems from a question I’ve had at home regarding the overuse of resources (such as old-growth trees or particularly beautiful stones that have created a scarcity in modern times) and how the use of those resources has influenced the modern city/region.
This internship is a very interesting opportunity for me to explore a career field that I didn’t consider as an option to me. After reading more about how involved archaeology is in various aspects of travel, education, tourism, etc., I really want to learn more about cultural resource management in practice. It seems like such a fine line between preserving history, studying history, educating others about history, and respecting the descendants of the history you might be studying. I am especially interested in seeing how the site of Antiochia is managed. I am curious how frequently it is visited by tourists, how the excavation and study of the site is organized to be an educational resource for tourists, and how artifacts are preserved and where they go if they leave the site.
Excited to see everyone there! Here’s hoping we don’t have to battle any orcs or fight off any dragons like Bilbo and his company. 🙂