I’ve learned that I can see myself working in an archeological career in the future. When starting the week, I thought my physical health would heavily get in the way of my ability to contribute to the team. By the time the second day rolled around, my body had adjusted to the work and heat at the site. On the first day I needed to take a few breaks throughout the work, but by Friday, I didn’t need to sit down except to make it easier to take notes in my notebook about findings from the day. I’ve improved on making my notes more detailed to help keep our unit’s official notebook concise while still being informative.
On the first day, we had what was previously excavated, but by the time Friday rolled around, we were uncovering our own artifacts. Even though I knew that someone lived and worked in what we guess was a house, finding pottery sherds on my own fully made that knowledge a reality to me. On Friday, we toured more of Antiochia. Learning about the industry that became abundant in Antiochia both in the baths and the house that we are excavating, further solidified Antiochia as a living city as well.
It didn’t occur to me how much clearing would need to be done to prepare a unit for excavation. Through the week, I’ve found a new appreciation for the work that is done as archeology is full of hot and long hours. They’re rewarding hours though and I’ve really been enjoying my time so far. While working on Friday, I was able to find some of the more common items that have been found in our site. That was pottery, glass, and a chicken bone.