My first week here in Gazipasa has surpassed my expectations in more ways than one. Although I have already briefly visited Türkiye which gave me a sense of the culture, I have truly felt immersed during these first seven days. I have been reminded why I wanted to return to Türkiye: the people, the culture, and the food (especially the çay). The hospitality culture of Türkiye continues to surprise me. Many people are eager to share their city with us, and in turn get to know us as well. Sometimes during other international travels, I have felt very alienated when I did not speak the language or know the culture well. I have not felt this in Türkiye. This hospitality has encouraged me to continue learning about Turkish culture, and hopefully master some Turkish by the end of the month. I hope to learn more about Gazipaşa and its history throughout my time here.
While I have already learned so much about Türkiye in this first week, I have learned infinitely more about myself. I knew this trip would be challenging both mentally and physically, but what I was not prepared for was the personal epiphanies I would have so early in the trip. While at St. Olaf, I had planned to train over the summer to prepare for the work here. Unfortunately, time got away from me, so I felt vastly unprepared for the physical aspect of this internship. In the past, I had struggled with working in the heat for long hours, so naturally, I was a little nervous for the first day of work. However, I surprised myself with how I held up on the first day. By pushing through the initial exhaustion and fatigue, I was able to acclimate much faster and continue to work throughout the day with minimal breaks. In fact, I found that I quite enjoyed the work. There is something satisfying about physical work that nothing else can beat. It was only by pushing myself to my limits that I was able to surpass what I thought was possible for myself. The ability to overcome my own mental and physical limits is something that I know will help me in all realms of my future, and without this internship, I may have never known how resilient I could be.
Another concern I had before coming here was that I romanticised the field of archaeology. I had longed to be a part of a dig for so long; I thought I might have been disappointed by the reality of the field. Luckily, my fears were misplaced, and I find myself falling in love with the profession more and more each day. I wanted to complete this internship simply because I had always wanted to do archaeology, but I never considered a career in this field. The more I am on-site and reading about the scientific processes of archeology, the more I want to learn more about how I may be able to fit into this world. I hope to explore pottery analysis more as the month goes on. While I have very little background in ceramics (aside from a few high school classes), I find myself being drawn to this subfield. There is something very intimate about unearthing pieces of pottery that were once part of someone’s everyday life. Was this just another pot in the house, or did we find a piece of someone’s favorite cooking vessel? I want to learn more about the lives of the people who once inhabited Antiochia. It’s so surreal to me that where I am standing and digging was once a place as lively as my own hometown. I have always reflected on the past uses of different ancient spaces and sites I have visited, but now being able to work in such a place has made me deeply reflect on my own role in the history of this place and its people. I understand now that our work here is not just to uncover a buried civilization for the purpose of finding artifacts of the past, but it is to revitalize the lives of those who lived there. In the end, archeologists are storytellers. I hope that through my work and research, I will be able to tell a colorful and sound story of the people of Antiochia.
I have been so grateful for every opportunity I have had in the first seven days here. Not only has my knowledge of archaeology grown considerably, but so has my understanding of antiquity. I am excited to see what we may uncover in the next three weeks.