Even Small Places Have Big Stories
Many experiences have come and
gone since the beginning of my adventures abroad in 2011. To summarize shortly
my work in the summer of 2012:
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| Hotel Philoxenia: A Theban Paradise |
I couldn't help but return to Greece and work
as an archaeologist with an incredibly talented group of undergraduate and graduate
students from both American and Greek universities. Perhaps the most exciting part, however, was the welcome
addition of several weathered Greek archaeologists and excavators to whom I owe
the majority of my archaeological Greek language skills. Mostly, ‘e-may
vro-mi-kee’ remained a common phrase on the site. With the direct translation
as ‘I am dirty’, we thought this was the most descriptive phrase to elaborate the
grime which accumulated on our bodies throughout the day. Given the scorching
hot Greek sun and the 45 minute drive between us and the relief of any beach,
our crew was left to suffer in the oppressive heat of approximately 40-42 Celsius every day. Only until we
arrived home at our hotel Philoxenia, meaning love for foreigners, could we jump in a giant cooled pool, have a
cold beer, or sit in our air-conditioned rooms. Woe to us and our hardships. To the untrained eye, the hotel would seem like a
luxury. And, well, it was.
Since Thebes is rich with ancient history, many past excavations have taken place. The Mycenaean age was approximately at its height from 1400-1250 BCE; therefore, the passage of time has buried its destroyed palaces and bronze artifacts many meters under the current ground level. Thus, excavations in Thebes have gone deep below the ground and visitors can find little hints of heritage everywhere in the city based on their location 10 meters below.
Now, there’s
one thing everyone must know about archaeology. There is no glory in the behavior portrayed by the likes of Indiana Jones. Archaeology is hard. And hot. And dirty. Each individual layer has to be
mapped. Each significant artifact found has to
be meticulously pin-pointed in its location. Everything requires analysis and mostly, time. That being said, archaeology is a very rewarding experience. My most awarding experience came from the
opportunity to shadow Dr. Vassilis Aravantinos, Emeritus Head of the
Ephorate and head of the excavation team on the Kadmeian Hill. This was perhaps
the most exciting part of the experience because of the incredible discoveries
developing from this excavation. To read more about the latest discoveries, follow this link: http://www.archaiologia.gr/en/blog/2013/07/23/archaeologists-hit-the-heart-of-the-theban-mycenaean-palace-2/.
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| Greek and American archaeologists |
