Bilkent Labraunda Team

Many people think that an excavation is all about finding something precious and that every archaeologist is kind of a treasure hunter. This actually is not a true explanation nor a good idea about what archaeology is and what archaeologists do in real life. Archaeologists follow a set of very precise steps during an excavation, in order to develop a better understanding of their site/building/context. However, all of these steps can be only learned by practicing them in the field. It is a bit like learning a new language, at some point you need to confront yourself with real life practice! That is also why the very first excavation you attend to is so important and unforgettable. Labraunda is my first excavation! Me taking point using the Total Station Before telling you my experiences during the excavation, let me explain why I chose this site as a starting point in my career. Labraunda is a very much ‘Classical’ site, and even though I have been planning to focus on prehi...

Whenever I say I am studying archaeology, people start talking about Indiana Jones or Lara Croft immediately. Well… Sorry guys but we do not run away from bad guys or we do not destroy temples like there is no tomorrow. However, this does not mean that our job is less exciting than you think. Especially at Labraunda, you never know what’s coming next. The Tetraconchos hot bath I came to Labraunda to excavate with a team investigating the surroundings of the Tetraconch building which is a sudatorium of a bath complex. The goal was to find a structure related to the Tetraconch which might be a private residence or a villa. We started by opening a test trench west of the building in order to see if there were any kind of structure remains connected to the Tetraconch. The first week passed by taking the topsoil and organize the documentation process. As we went deeper, we were losing our hopes slowly because the layers were very mixed since it was located on the slope.  ...

A new working day in Labraunda Before I start talking about archaeology in Labraunda, I want to mention a little bit about myself. Because it is going to be weird if I directly jump into archaeology, I think. Whose blog post are you reading ? I need to answer this question first. My name is Merve Günal and I am a senior in the Archaeology department of Bilkent University. Here comes the most classic and boring (sorry but not sorry guys) question WHY ARCHAEOLOGY ? The main reason why I choose archaeology in the first place is because I do not like sitting in an office from 8am till 5pm with formal clothes. It is not me. I should be moving and get the feeling that “I AM USEFULL FOR HUMANITY”. The second most asked question (especially by parents and adults) “ARCHAEOLOGIST ARE POOR PEOPLE, THERE IS NO MONEY IN THAT JOB !” Let’s make things clear guys, if you are doing the job that you love and have passion while you are doing it, you will earn money from that (it will take time o...

Ancient cities full of mighty buildings lying along the coastal line is the foremost thing when one considers archaeology in Anatolia. However, archaeology is a holistic discipline. Context is everything in archaeology. Current archaeology does not only deal with monumental and urban zones of famous ancient cities, but it also investigates the harbour towns associated to these cities, agricultural zones providing food to the region and means of production used in a large area surrounding these ancient sites. Therefore, an archaeological survey is one of the best ways to evaluate all these features in a single scientific activity. A survey enables to compose a comprehensive archaeological knowledge of a certain region by giving it contextual data. The vegetation and climate, and possible economic resources in the region can be observed. Furthermore, the relationship between human beings and nature/landscape is best discerned through such investigations. Walking between clarified pr...