I came into this season confident that I would enjoy our field work, and I’m happy to say that my initial read was spot-on. I’m already thinking ahead to next summer, and to potential field opportunities, though I do have some thoughts yet on our work at Antiochia. This project has shown me how excavations are run—all of the levels of people at work, and the delicate balance of relationships that are necessary to keep everything running for a project. It has also shown me that archaeological work can be very much in the swim of things: as we worked, goats traipsed across our site, van-fuls of tourists passed through taking pictures and asking questions, and ministry officials dropped by to report on progress to higher rungs of the Turkish government. Even though Antiochia lies outside any major urban area, what goes on at the site itself, and what goes on with the information collected and the objects found, reaches well beyond its immediate surroundings.
In any case, I’ve made a short list from my time this summer that might be helpful if you’re thinking of coming to Antiochia in the future.
Do go into town for food when you get the chance—for baklava, Türkmenoğlu is a must, and Şefim’s lentil soup absolutely does taste better in the wee hours, but you’ll have to see for yourself…
But maybe don’t go in the middle of the day. It’s incredible how much the town comes to life at night, and it’s also significantly cooler.
Do check out the clothing market and the fruit market in town, and try haggling for some stylish Turkish man pants and a sack of nectarines, which you really shouldn’t miss.
If you happen to eat something funky, like I might have done at Monkey Pizza Burger, do try kefir or ayran. I swear by these fermented milk drinks for upset stomachs, and think they taste great too—I mean, what’s not to love?
Don’t forget to bring along plenty of water to the site. This probably goes without saying, but the amount of water you lose by sweating is large—I was, on multiple occasions, able to wring out my shirt as we worked. Do enjoy the natural result of sweating and working in the dust: making your own mud on your face and arms. Think of it like finger-painting. It makes washing off before lunch all the more refreshing.
Don’t try to kneel or bend over the whole dig—the flat-footed squat is a life- and back-saving move that does take some practice, but is definitely worth learning. (Alaturca toilets take advantage of the same pose—do try using one at least once, if you’re feeling up for it!)
Don’t skip taking wheelbarrows. The dumping pile at the bottom of the hill affords an amazing view over the banana terraces and out across the ocean, and it certainly isn’t the worst place to catch a break from digging.
Do take full advantage of the weekend trips (by that I mean go on them!). The highland festival that we visited over our second weekend was my favorite of these. We took a bus two hours into the mountains to visit traditional summer pastureland, and got to scramble around on these wonderful crags and arches and take tea on the side of a mountain before going back down to town.
And don’t hesitate to ask questions! This is admittedly less cultural or practical than many of the other points, but it’s an ethos that I found served me well. Was that little thing I found a piece of metal or a rock? Before I knew the difference, I made sure to ask. How do you tell what a grave looks like? This program has been an exciting opportunity to learn in a place very different from a school campus, but the spirit of curiosity and question-asking still holds true.