Well, I’m officially done with my first week! It’s been absolutely incredible. I’ve learned some archaeology techniques, including how to use the tools, take photos of the artifacts, draw horizontal plans, and draw pottery. I’ve still got five more days of the dig, and I know that I want to do it again. Even though I’ve only been introduced to the techniques and am awful at most of them, I really enjoy them and could see myself getting good at certain aspects with enough practice.
Wednesday, another pair was working beneath our area, so we were unable to pickax the area we’d been working on. Instead, we got deeper into the pit and got to work on cleaning a destruction pit that had a collection of bones and pottery, trying to unearth the area around it to find the perimeter of the pit. We used brushes and trowels, and I think that this aspect of digging has been my favorite so far. We also learned how to set up the level and take levels of the site.
After the dig, I wanted to something during my break, so I walked down to one of the beaches. On the way, I got some rolled ice cream. Then I walked through the Necropolis of the town, which my dig leaders have excavated over the last few years. Finally, I got the dead skin on my feet eaten by fish.
I came back and went to my next lecture, which was about the burial practices of the dead in ancient Greece and Sozopol, which was interesting and fitting with my walk through the Necropolis.
The next day, it rained in the morning, so we had a lecture on my dig leader’s excavation of the Necropolis. After that, we started to learn how to draw pottery. The technique involves a lot of measurements, and has both a front view and cut view. We had a quick lunch after the pottery drawing, then had our last scheduled lecture, which was on ancient Greek pottery.
After the lecture, the dig leader took us to the archaeology museum, in which she pointed out not only the types of pottery we’d discussed, but all the finds she had in the museum. She would just casually touch or rest on them, and it was the wildest experience of my life to see how casual she was with museum artifacts.
We had dinner, went to a bar, and then caught a beautiful sunset over the harbor.
Friday, we got to learn how to sort pottery into fine pottery that would be kept and pottery that would be discarded because it had no scientific use. We also cleared a site with fine brushes to prepare for a photo. Using the info card, north indicator, and meter sticks, we learned how to clear and set up for a photo. The day went by quickly, and because we’d had multiple lectures earlier in the week, we had a free afternoon.
My roommate Chloe and I went to the beach during our free time. It was fairly chilly, but the water was warm and we had a lot of fun. We walked up and down the beach after swimming, and then it was already time for dinner.
After a good dinner, we hung out with the other people on the dig for the rest of the night. It was great to get to know them better, and I had a lot of fun! I can’t believe I’m already halfway done. But I still have a lot to look forward to!
WANDERING 