Dirt

Dirt. But here we call it soil. Soil is a formal, clean, refined term for granular substance produced by millions of years of erosion. Soil is not as worthless, filthy, or dirty as dirt. Soil is simply something, a barrier between us and whatever lies beneath our...

Off the Cliff

A soft mist pervades the mountain side, fountains of light trickling through to illuminate the terraced banana plantation. The sound of swallows hunting insects overhead blends with that of waves lapping against the shore. I breathe it all in, basking in the beauty of...

Week 2 Busted Knee

As we’ve continued learning the necessities in working at our site, such as taking measurements to see how deep we’ve dug at the end of the day and labeling our finds (such as a glass base, bones, pottery, and architectural remains) in bags, I’ve had...

Adventures of The Filthy Five (Part One)

It was a hot day, like every other, in the land of Turkey when Kirbus the Great looked upon the dusty walls of his new home on the Cragos of Antiochia.  Accompanied by his faithful, and wiser, companions Anna the Fearless and Lizzy the Mighty, Kirbus directed his eyes...

Slaving Away

When I first decided to take this course, I knew that I would be immersed in ancient history, but it was only during this past week that I realized the extent to which that this was possible. In attempts to work on wall preservation, I re-enacted the process that the...

My Morning Ritual

Never have I hated an alarm clock so much. Every morning, at five o’clock sharp, I drag myself out of bed and feel my way to the light switch, received by a chorus of groans from the other five girls in the room. For the next half hour, I bumble around the room,...