A week ago, I landed in Turkey not knowing fully what to expect from the work, archaeology, and Gazipaşa. Throughout these last few days, I have found myself learning a lot, not only about how to do the archaeological work, but also about how much water I should drink, and what clothes are best for the dig site. Although at first the work was hard and still is, I didn’t expect it to be as fun as it is as well. I feel like throughout the week, I have also gotten better at identifying what materials are important to keep, such as finding a piece of bone or ceramic, which is always fun and rewarding.
Being able to see Antiochia has put into perspective what life must have been like for people living there. It was a living city, not just houses, and being able to walk through the places they would have had shops or walked themselves has been very interesting, and has helped me see the place as somewhere that they would have lived. This greater understanding is something I have enjoyed gaining, and I am excited to find out even more, such as seeing new parts of their homes, or finding new pieces of ceramic that they would have used in their everyday life.
Overall, I think doing this archaeological work has helped me better understand what I can do and understand, and I have enjoyed learning new things everyday. I am excited for this to continue, and curious about what we will discover next!