So far, my archaeological experience in Türkiye has taught me so many valuable life and academic skills. From the first week on, I have been able to improve my skills in collaboration, being honest about my limits, and adjusting to new environments. I have been able to adjust to the hot and humid weather much better than I thought I would, pushing myself to new working limits while also working with new people. Communication is extremely important when working closely with a group of people in these somewhat harsh conditions, so I am thankful that this experience has taught me how to be more assertive while also listening to team members to create an efficient and friendly environment.
This past week, I have been working with a new group on a rescue excavation; we have to finish everything we can before we leave. While the time crunch is stressful, this is what most excavations are and if I decide to continue pursuing a career in archaeology, participating in a cultural resource management excavation will look great on a resume. Working with a new group in a new area has also shaken up my comfortability with my old group and unit, but I am thankful for the switch because I get to work on an amazing new site now with amazing new people! I have really enjoyed working with some of the Turkish students I had not met previously and have definitely gained additional insight on the site we are excavating from people from the area. My new group that consists of St. Olaf students is also amazing, and I am so happy I have gotten to know more of them.
My work at AAC has consisted of pickaxing soil, hauling rocks, taking soil samples, finding/washing/sorting pottery sherds, and overall uncovering ancient areas. The first two weeks, I worked in the Acropolis on what we believe to be a neighborhood or something similar. Our unit did not find much other than a few various objects and the possible corner of a wall, but it was still really exciting to uncover more with each 10cm pass. This past week, I have been working in the Great Bath on a rescue excavation. This form of archaeology is much different than what I had been doing the first two weeks. We take much less time to excavate a given area and can go deeper than 10cm each pass. I really like working in this unit as well and exploring another type of archaeology. We have found a lot of exciting things, namely large diagnostic pottery sherds and mosaic pieces. I hope we can get to the floor level soon and see if there is a possible mosaic or answer as to why we find so many pottery sherds!
Apart from working at the site, so many people I have met in town have been really interested in our archaeological work and want to learn more about our work and about America. While I can’t tell them much about what we do or what we have found, talking about America with people who have not been there is such an interesting experience. Most people have learned about America from movies and I have seen what an impact American media has on other countries. I have learned a lot from Turkish students about Türkiye and their observations about America; even our views on methods of archaeology differ and I have loved every moment spent with them. I feel completely welcomed everywhere I go and always want to hear outside perspectives about American culture, media, and politics. I have learned very few Turkish words, but very few is better than none! Simple words like “yes”, “no”, “thank you”, and (especially) “gluten free” have gotten me far, helping me communicate with other Turkish people that don’t speak English.