My time in Turkiye was incredibly difficult, yet incredibly rewarding. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone hoping to pursue a career in history.
The advice that I would give to a future student hoping to do this internship is to do a lot of preparation. I would recommend learning several phrases of basic Turkish before coming so that you can connect and communicate better with the locals since many of them do not speak English. I would also encourage them to do some physical conditioning in the proceeding weeks, like long-distance walks, weight lifting, and squatting in order to make the field work more manageable. I also think it’s important to be honest with yourself about what your physical fitness level is, and recognize that if you don’t think you’re in very good shape, this might not be the trip for you, (or at least remember to bring your inhaler with you). I did a lot of conditioning prior to the trip and I still feel like I pushed myself too far physically at times and maybe would have been healthier doing a more research-based history internship. Regardless, while you are in Turkiye, it is important to have a positive and open mindset, recognizing that the work you are doing is hard, but it is also so important. Finally, in terms of packing, it is important to remember that you’re going to be constantly sweaty and dirty, and that even when you’re off the field, most days you will not be too worried about looking nice. It’s more important to bring a lot of easy, simple outfits that you can wear for dinner and pottery washing that don’t require a lot of special care. However, you will want a couple of nicer outfits for the Yayla festival and other weekend adventures.
I learned so much during my time in Turkiye. In a very straightforward sense, I feel like I have learned a lot about the archaeological process. Now when I watch documentaries that show excavations at ancient sites, I understand why the archaeologists are doing what they are doing, such as why they choose what tools to use, the order that they uncover a site, and the terminology that they apply. I also learned several other important lessons while on this internship, such as that the Istanbul TSA officers are a lot less lenient than the Kansas City or Chicago TSA officers when it comes to bringing trowels in your carry-on luggage, or that Turkish dish-soap can double as a surprisingly good laundry detergent. But overall, a lot of what I learned came from the country of Turkiye itself. Simply getting to experience a new place and new culture is something that cannot be replicated in a classroom. When my family first heard that I was going to be studying in Turkiye, all they knew were the negative American stereotypes about the Middle East, leading them to think that it would be dangerous or unsanitary as it is often portrayed in the media. In fact, the country was incredibly welcoming, safe, clean, and beautiful the entire time. It’s so easy to be fooled by inaccurate narratives when you are on the other side of the world, which is why travelling- or even better, living in another place, is so important, especially as a historian.
By doing this internship, you really become an archaeologist. Not only do you get the experience of working at the digsite, but you get to analyze, catalogue, and theorize about everything you uncover. One of the most memorable parts of this project was sitting at journaling time every night and discussing with my peers our theories about what our site looked like and how it functioned back when it was used. Your voice really matters and you get to be at the front of the action, letting your creativity and hard-earned knowledge guide you through the process. This internship was unique from all others in the sense that you are able to truly make it yours and walk away with so much more knowledge, skill, and muscle than you started with.