How to describe this week... it's the end of the season and we all have the regular end of season fatigue and restlessness, maybe me more than some others because I can't wait to be back home and resume being a newlywed. I've been working more and more hours on my project which is good and I've been learning lots of new skills. I learned how to use the surveyors equipment, went out set it all up and took points by myself and they even came out right. I was proud of my new skills for sure. I've also been refreshing my AutoCAD skills. who would've thought when my dad made me take engineering in HS that it would come in handy (thanks for the skills Mr. Santoro). I'm starting the full-scale survey tomorrow so it should be interesting. I only have about a week and half left at the site and then it's off to Damascus for a few days before heading home 2 weeks from today.
The funniest thing that happened all week was probably the day I went out to survey near the village. I went out with my backpack and my tools and full of enthusiasm. I walked up to the village and 3 dogs promptly came out and started barking at me like crazy. Dogs in Syria are vicious (they cut off their ears when they are puppies to make them meaner) so I quickly retreated back to the road. At that point I added a rock to my toolkit. Lorenzo and Yasmine said "just one rock?" and so I told them that was just for the first throw until I could reach another rock on the ground. After I walked past the village (and the dogs) I rambled all over the landscape checking out natural features and looking at the man-made stuff to use as landmarks in the future. As I was walking along one field boundary some turkeys from the village were wandering nearby. After I got close they started following me like I was their mom. So there is me, walking across a field, with a gaggle of turkeys behind me. Finally they decided I wasn't going to feed them and just ran off all at once. It was the strangest thing and I can only imagine how I appeared to the locals. Of course, the locals think I'm crazy anyway because I walk all over looking at nothing on the ground. They always wave at me and say hello. Sometimes they try and tell me things I don't understand which is always comical.
We had several other adventures this week. We visited Tell Fekeriyah where they had recently discovered 50 tablets. When we were visiting the professor was so nice and let us all touch the tablets and look at them. They were really amazing. I won't publish any pictures here because it is their big find of the season but it included ancient tablets inside of clay envelopes, some with the envelopes are still preserved which is so fun to look at. I will just put a picture of myself holding one of the tablets.
We also had lunch along the Khabur which is a funny story that I don't really have time to relate now but let's just say it was quite a bathroom experience. Sometimes it is so clear that Syria is different from anywhere else.
Last night we didn't go to Qamishli because we went to visit Tell Arbit where there is a Polish mission. They showed us around the site and then had us stay for dinner with lots of wine (rare in Syria!) and good company. It was a fun time and a really beautiful interesting site. They have so many rooms and buildings and possibly a sequence of temples.
I'm counting down the days until I'm home and although archaeology is interesting and fun there is always no place like home. Looking forward to fall and American food. (wing festival anyone?)
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