I’m unsure if a career in archaeology is in my future. Before this spring, I had never considered a career in archeology, and I am still unsure if this is work I can imagine myself doing long-term, especially if the career path would require specialization that would take me out of the field and into a lab for the majority of my time.
To a future employer, I would describe my time as having been spent excavating a site on the Mediterranean coast, with work consisting of a mix of manual labor and delicate material preservation while adapting to a variety of constantly changing environments and cultural conditions. I worked and collaborated with both American and Turkish academics, both in the field and in the lab.
Regardless of what my future career may hold, there are a number of lessons and skills I will carry from this work into the rest of my life. Coming to Türkiye, I was intimidated by the rather considerable language and culture barrier I faced upon arriving in a new country. I spoke no Turkish and had a very surface-level understanding of Turkish culture. My fears could not have been disproven quicker. From the first day of work, the Turks I found myself with were incredibly welcoming. I was instantly made to feel welcomed and taught a variety of Turkish curse words by my new friends Hassan and Asude. Going forward, I will be better prepared to experience new places and engage with people regardless of whatever differences or barriers (real or imagined) I perceive to exist.
In addition to cultural fluency and literacy, having this work on my resume will help to demonstrate my resilience and work ethic. 5 days a week of 6 hours of manual labor in the Mediterranean summer conveys a certain level of willingness to get dirty.
Another skill I have honed while working at AAC is my tolerance for a certain amount of risk. In the past, particularly in academia, I have been hesitant to take risks and seek validation for every decision I have made. However, in the field, I have been pushed to make my decision and be able to defend it even without explicit authorization or approval from Howe or my supervisor. Having been given both the tools to make those decisions and the trust has helped me develop not just the decision-making matrix but also trust in my ability and develop a higher tolerance for risk. I believe that this self-reliance is a highly transferable skill in whatever career I may seek.