It was easy to settle in Pylos once I steered my attention away from Air Farce and focused on the idea that I was living in GREECE!
Here’s a look into a day in the field:
5am: wake-up
6am: hope on the bus to the site. The bus isn’t able to bring us right at the site. We have to walk about 2 kms to the actual site.
6:30am-1:30pm: EXCAVATE!
The way it works, for those who aren’t familiar, there is one trench supervisor per trench with a small group of students who work in uncovering various finds, such as pottery, bone, architectural features, figurines, etc. This project is fortunate enough to have hired workmen, so they do the major digging and shovelling before we go in and look for finds.
We break for lunch around 11am. For a good part of our time at the site, there has been a local that set up shop just outside of the site and sells AMAZING orange juice and sandwiches --- his name is Nestor… Greek?! Haha!
So far, I’ve found a good amount of potsherds and two kylix bases (drinking cups), as well as bone and painted plaster which would have been a part of a fresco no doubt.
1:30pm: we either walk back towards the bus or try to grab a spot in the back of one of the workmen’s pick-up truck… It surreal the things I’ve been seeing during my stay in Greece. This little bit alone is worth mentioning because I have only (sadly) seen this kind of thing in movies: a bunch of us students cram into the pick up bed and sit on the side of the back of the pick-up truck and some sit on the tail-gate, and some stay standing! It really makes you feel like you’re living in the bush, or in the old country where things are so much more simplistic.
Often after the day is over, we have the option of going to one of many beaches in the area. I’ve been to a few different ones a couple of times, but I usually opt for going back home because I’m so tired and would rather hang out in town with my roommate and friends before class begins. We usually end up getting a frappe at our favourite café and sit at the pier.
5:30pm: Class. This is held by various people who work for the project, on various topics: zooarchaeology, pottery experts, history, methodology and theories, etc.
There is sometimes a staff meeting that follows right after and students are welcome to attend. It’s a great way of staying in touch with every trench and new discoveries/progresses.
7:30pm: Dinner. I’ve written about this already, but damn! Dinner’s here are fabulous --- all home-made and delicious!
I usually go for a walk in the Plataea with friends and watch the sunset at the pier before sticking myself in front of my roommate’s computer to do stuff before finally going to bed.
It’s a packed day and damn, has it ever gone by!
