June 2006 Archives
Turkey 2006: The Village Sacrifice (Graphic)
Jun 24, 2006 | No Comments
So Ethno-archaeology has become a major focus this year since we haven't been in the field. Basically what this is for us, is looking at modern villages and cultures to compare with the ancient sites. The other day was definitely one of the most interesting experiences that I have had while traveling..... A couple of us went to Choletepe - the local village near the excavation - and watched a family sacrifice a sheep for the village. It was an important component to their religious beliefs and had to be done in a very specific way. As I'm sure you can imagine, it wasn't easy to watch (especially at the beginning)... But it was actually a pretty amazing process. From the kill to having tiny chopped pieces ready to be distributed to the village took about 45 minutes.
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Turkey 2006: If skeletons could talk...
Jun 15, 2006 | No Comments
We have a bone specialist here this year analyzing all the human remains that have been unearthed over the last few seasons. It is amazing what you can tell from a 5,000 year old skeleton! For example, in the picture above, note the greenish tint on the bottom half of the jaw... These remains were found with her left hand resting across the side of her face -- the fingers of which were also tinted green. What this most likely represents is a young female buried with brass rings on her fingers as grave goods. Over time, the rings themselves eroded but the material dyed the bone they were in contact with green.
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Turkey 2006: Questions Answered
Jun 13, 2006 | No Comments
Cay (Pronounced Chai) is a Turkish tea that you are given practically everywhere you go in here... I have probably had 8 glasses in a single day before... easy! How it is made is actually kind of interesting -- They have this double-decker tea kettle that they keep on constant heat. In the top kettle, they have a highly concentrated mix of the tea and a little bit of water. In the bottom kettle, they keep water at a constant boil. When they go to pour a glass, they mix about 1/5 a glass of the highly concentrated mix combined with the boiling water of the bottom kettle. As a result, they are basically able to keep the tea boiling all day long...
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Turkey 2006: Seeing the world by alphabet
Jun 6, 2006 | 3 Comments
So I arrived in Turkey with little trouble... I slept for all but one hour of the first 10 hour flight which was awesome! I woke up briefly in the middle to some really bad turbulence though and feared that the curse was upon me... But I figured - what can I do - so I just went back to sleep ;-)
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Turkey 2006: HELPPP
Jun 6, 2006 | No Comments
So as many of you know, I have been operating under the impression that my trip may very well be cursed.... I know that it's hard to believe, but several things have happened which have led me to this conclusion...
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