Before I even applied for this internship, I scrolled way far back on the research blog site to see what I was getting myself into. I was very glad to find several posts from past students showing me just that, and got a ton of genuinely helpful info from them! For a more concrete guide to both the practical and experiential sides of the internship, I’ve compiled a brief referential DO’S AND DON’T’S SURVIVAL GUIDE based on personal experience and firsthand research for any future archaeologists who may need it.
DO: Go on all the field trips! Some of my favorite memories were made while trying to order gözleme at the Yayla Festival or wolfing down a whole grilled trout at Sapedere Canyon. The archaeological aspect is at the heart of the internship, but the cultural experiences available on the weekends are equally as fantastic.
DON’T: Forget your nice, brand new Nalgene water bottle at home in your rush to get to the airport (whoops, totally not speaking from personal experience on that one). Staying hydrated is quite literally the difference between getting through a day of work relatively unfazed or suffering in the heat. If you do repeat my mistake, never fear! A101 and just about every other convenience store nearby sell massive water bottles that are easily refillable and fit quite nicely into a dig bag. Honestly, I’d recommend grabbing one or two as backup just in case; you really can’t go wrong with being overprepared when it comes to your water supply.
DO: Explore the city as much as possible! Even though you may be wiped out after a day of work, the weekends are a great time to wander around and find a new favorite restaurant or shop. Bidi Bidi Beach is a perfect lazy day hangout spot with a delicious chicken salad and gorgeous views of the Old Selinus cliffside. I bought more than my fair share of souvenirs at the jewelry market on Saturday nights and scored a lovely agate necklace that I will be wearing every day for the foreseeable future. Karaoke at Konrad’s was probably the best way to wrap up a work week, even if my Alanis Morissette covers tended to be kinda off-key.
DON’T: Be afraid to push your physical and mental limits throughout the time you’re on site! As many have already stated, the first day is a DEEPLY humbling experience. You will get dirty, sweat more than you thought humanly possible, and be bone tired by the end of the day, but feeling yourself adjust to the heat and hard work over time is pretty cool. So long as you’re taking care of your body, taking wheelbarrows and buckets of dirt will get a lot easier. (And you’ll feel super jacked and buff too, which is always fun.)
DO: Look through the t-shirts at Salı Pazarı. You can find some real gems and bizarre prints in there, and a particularly good one may stick around as an inside joke for the entire trip. BEST EVER DAY forever…
DON’T: Be scared to ask questions! Especially after being moved to the Caldarium, I was so worried about bugging the team I was working for. I quickly realized that they were enthusiastic about the work they were doing and willing to help answer any curiosities or confusions I had. Even after the fifth time I double checked that what I was holding was in fact just a rock and not a piece of marble, they never made me feel like I was being a nuisance. If anything, I got some of my most valuable takeaways about the site by bouncing ideas off of Erkin, Ulaş, and Dr. Rice.
DO: Learn a bit of Turkish before you go! Putting in some effort to learn the basics is a great way to feel more prepared while you’re out and about. Even a solid attempt at pronouncing “teşekkürler” is appreciated by people, and it gets easier to pick up more as you go.
I really can’t overstate how much I loved Gazipaşa and the people that I met while I was there, on both the St. Olaf and Turkish teams. I really do think that the friendships I both strengthened and made on this trip will stick with me as the best part. You really get close to people when you’re all baking in the sun together for 8 hours a day! I will miss the cookie swap meet at çay break, hearing the same 5 Pitbull songs added to the Spotify queue every morning, and ice cream walks after dinner. Even in the years to come when I will surely have a degree and even more archaeological experience under my belt, Antiochia ad Cragum will always hold a special place in my heart!