The best piece of advice I can give to future interns is to be adaptable and be able to roll with anything. You’ll be in an environment that you’ve never been in before, likely doing work you’ve never done. What is needed and what will be asked of you may change daily. I found that by being adaptable, I was ready for anything and much more open to any new experience. Being adaptable also means pushing yourself, both mentally and physically. The work is hard, and the first day seems impossibly long. But once you get over those first two days, each day flies by. Another piece of advice I would strongly recommend is to be prepared! Don’t start hydrating and getting ready for work the first Sunday; start training your mind and body before you ever set foot on Turkish soil. Work outside for the month and a half before you leave; start hydrating the week before you fly out. As for what to pack, the packing list really is your best friend, especially anything first aid. My biggest regret was not packing any cold medicine because you will get sick and you will hate yourself for not packing any. I ended up using everything in my first aid kit at least once, and if you don’t need it, someone else will. I also recommend bringing biofreeze – I don’t think I would’ve survived the last week without it. While the days can be long and difficult, don’t forget that you’re in Türkiye! So take some time to research Turkish history, culture, and cuisine. Understanding where you are going and what to expect will help you assimilate much faster and give you a better understanding of what you need to try and do during the internship. While I had already briefly visited Türkiye for another Olaf course, this internship allowed me to be immersed in the culture. I have definitely missed the çay since being home. Here’s where being adaptable comes back into play. When you are a guest in a different country and culture, you will be outside of your comfort zone, and that’s okay! Try foods you normally don’t eat at home, do things you’ve never done before, because the time flies by quickly, and every new experience is a chance to learn something new.
Before this internship, I had a very limited idea of what archaeology was. I now know there are an infinite number of subfields to explore, which I hope to do more of in the future. One of my favorite skills that I have learned is how to identify finds. Is this piece bronze or iron? Packed dirt or plaster? Or my favorite game: sherd or schist? Throughout the internship, I realized how important our work was to the historical narrative. Every find, every theory, led us to imagine the past in a particular way. Archaeologists are storytellers, and the work we did became a part of that historical narrative. Our decisions, our biases, our finds all worked to visualize the lives of the people that once lived on the Acropolis. Don’t worry if you can’t pick up these skills immediately; I only noticed a difference after spending my 20th birthday in ANS9, from which I became older and wiser. I had so many memorable experiences in the past month. I will never forget the field trips, especially drinking the ayran out of the goatskin at the Yayla Festival. However, what I will remember most is my time working in the units. The gummy breaks, the impromptu bar made during our rare, but much appreciated, soda breaks (cola and pomegranate juice is an elite combo by the way), and the non-stop pitbull to fuel both our digging and our luck. I will never forget our last day, which I now believe is the most chaotic. From discovering how expansive the plaster floor was to finally saying that we had a wall, the last day was one to remember. I now hope to be on more digs in the future, either as a volunteer or intern. While I still plan on (hopefully) attending law school in the future, I’ve taken steps to see how I can incorporate archaeology or even international travel into a future career. This was such a special and unique experience that will influence both my academic and personal path in the foreseeable future.