Birthday Weekend!!!

So this past weekend was my birthday (June 23) and I finally got to get out of the village and see some of Crete.  Saturday I only worked 8-11:30 which was really nice so I showered threw on a dress grabbed my computer and a book and headed to the beach front cafes.  I sat outside in these super comfy chairs and read Dan Brown's latest book Inferno, which is so good, I talked to people back home went on the computer and checked emails and pretty much stayed out all day.  I went to dinner with my roommates and had chicken soulvaki with fries a little salad and the absolute best honey mustard sauce i have ever had!!!! It is so amazing.  Then there was a lecture at the center at 9:00 and i climbed up the hill on a full stomach which i do not recommend!! The lecture was the archaeologist/professor  Pietro Militello who lectured on the archaeological site Phaistos.  It was really funny because it was really only for graduate students, which I am obviously not, but I totally crashed because I work at the center and knew as long as I didn't sit in a seat (sat on the roof which was super awesome) and I didn't take any food that they really wouldn't care.  It was really awesome though because I have never really gone to any anthropology or archaeology lecture usually I go to all science or medical lectures so it was quite refreshing for me.  And as I have mentioned before I am a physical anthropology major so I have only taken basic archaeology classes so after the lecture I went down to the beach to google things that I was still confused on but I am definitely learning a lot which is really exciting.  So then after talking and researching on the beach I went to bed for the night.  Sunday was so nice because we weren't leaving to go to the museums until ten so we could sleep in!!! So got ready and we left at ten to go to Herkalion and we went to the old and new Herkalion Archaeological Museums which were absolutely amazing and house the most amazing pieces I have ever seen.  The sculptures were so amazing that I was scared that I was gonna break them with how clutsy i am.  After that we walked around the city which was really cool and got some really delicious gelato.  Then I really wanted to find an atm and get some more cash out, so I got my wallet out and my bank card was in my other wallet back in the village in my room.  Luckily we went to Knossos a giant archaeological site and had time to run back to the place I am staying and drive to the small city only fifteen minutes from us which have several atms.  So I was so thankful that the professor we are with did that.  After that relaxed before going to dinner where I got really delicious pizza (funny right getting pizza in Greece) and then I stayed on the beach to finally video chat with my family so that was nice.  And my sister was at the dance studio and all the girls sang happy birthday to me and it really meant a lot.  It was definitely hard not being home for my birthday with my family and was a little sad because it didn't really feel like my birthday but seeing everyone back home really made me feel better.  So its getting late and I get up at 6:15 every morning to get dressed and walk to the center to start my day so i'll try to keep posting as much as I can.  Talk real soon!!
Lots of Love
Rebecca

Gournia

So the site that I am helping out on is called Gournia.  It is a Minoan Bronze age site.  As a physical anthropologist I too am learning what all the terms are because its not what I study so its been a real learning experience.  But there is a palace being excavated a thunder dome, houses and it has an amazing view of the sea and mountains and the town of Pachia Amos is so close to it.  I'm still learning more about it and I'll update as I go.  So this first work week pretty much flew by and I'm guessing the weekend will to.  Really hasn't been too bad other than we had to move to a new place Friday after working all day.  There was a girl coming late to the dig for some reason and they had no where to put her so they moved me and my two roommates and we now live in Markos its kinda like a micro-apartment there are two bedrooms, five beds, closets, a bathroom with an actual tub to stand in, decent size kitchen, and a wrap around balcony.  Its more of a beach house because there are three floors and our floor only has two other people on it so its nice.  The only bad thing is that there is no air conditioning but there are french doors that you keep open to let a really nice breeze and sleep in a tee shirt and shorts.  It's actually nice to have so much room and I could actually unpack my clothes and hang things.  And I just found out from some other people staying there that there is wifi so that makes me happy that I can stay in touch with people.  So kinda short today but I may be back on later and if not definitely tomorrow.
Lots of Love
Rebecca

Greek Life

γεια σας (hello),
This post goes into more detail of what I am actually doing in Crete.
So every morning I get up at 6:15 am brush my teeth put on the clothes I have laid out the night before, then get my lunch out of the fridge that I have prepared the night before then I say good bye to my roommates and head off to the INSTAP Center of East Crete where I get to be an assistant in soil flotation and sorting.  I am technically more of a physical anthropologist and focus on faunal material which is bone.  So its really interesting to be in more of a archaeological focus.  Soil flotation and sorting is really crucial in a dig because it can reveal so much than meets the eye about the place being excavated.  Through soil flotation and sorting we can find organic material that was missed in dry sieving out in the trenches.  What we can find out is what they may have eaten through finding seeds, small bones of certain animals, also through sorting material by hand several cultural, agricultural, marine, faunal, and lithic materials can be found.  Soil sorting is super tidious but its absolutely amazing when you find something super cool.  I also get to do database work since I am pretty good with computers so that interesting too.  Starting Friday we get our soil samples every morning.  This Friday all day I am going to be doing soil flotation so I can become comfortable with it to be on my own and then teach other people how to do it and eventually just supervise others doing it.  I still am in awe that I have been given this opportunity.  I feel guilty because everyone else is in the trenches working in the heat and here I am working in this beautiful research center working in amazing conditions with cold drinks, so I am very grateful that they saw something in me that possessed them to give me this opportunity.  If I was in the field I wouldn't complain and it is neat to see how things are done but I definitely prefer the tasks I have been assigned and intend on completing them without complaining.  So this week I work until 5 then Saturday only until noon.  After that I will only work 7-4 which will be nice getting out at the same time everyday unlike most people who have to work changing shifts of 2-4 and 4-6.  There is an graduate student from UB that is working with faunal material and I can't wait to be able to help him out and see all different bones and stuff with him.  I'm really looking forwards to that because I definitely love osteology.  So this pretty much covers what I'll be doing while I am here so maybe in the next posts I can talk more about Pacheia Amos and Gournia.  Well for now that is all.
Lots of Love
Rebecca

End of Day 2

So I have never been on a archaeological dig so I really didn't know what to expect.  I'm not in the field anymore because I have been given an opportunity to learn and practice post processing.  It's very time consuming but I am definitely learning a lot.  It feels very overwhelming learning things trying to do things in an orderly fashion at a quick pace and still performing the task correctly.  I will say I have not gotten use to living in another country yet.  English not being the primary language is very hard because you feel rude not being able to communicate with people while they are in their own country.  There is gonna be a basic greek lecture on Friday so that should be interesting and helpful.  These first two work days have gone by relatively quick so that is a good thing but I feel like once I get a hang on what I am suppose to be doing it will move along much better because right now I fear of messing things up.  The only thing I have to say is that at six thirty I have to walk up this giant hill that will be the death of me for the first week or two until my legs get used to that.  Definitely will post a picture of that.  Other than that we work at 7 i get done usually around 4 except for this week closer to five because we are trying to get things together.  Other than working we take three breaks two small ones and a lunch break then i walk back down to the hotel im staying in and usually take a nap.  Then I change and go to dinner with my two roommates and then maybe to the market then back to the hotel to shower and just relax. Weekends should be nice because we only work until 12 and then have Saturday afternoon and sundays off.  I think it will be neat to go on the group trips to other places and see other parts of Crete.  I am definitely missing everyone back home its hard to be away from people you love and are used to seeing daily but I know these days will go by fast and i'll be home with everyone very soon.  But I am safe healthy and making good decisions.  Gonna go to bed.  Be back with another update.
Love always
Rebecca

Gournia Excavations

So everyone I'm currently in Crete about to experience my first archaeological dig. Something I've thought I'd never have the opportunity to do. But thanks to my amazing family and working my butt off I'm here and I couldn't be more thankful and grateful. I figured its easy for people who I'm not constantly updating to see what's going on.  I'm uploading tons of pictures to my Facebook but will definitely add some on here too. So it's currently June 17th and its is going on twelve theory in the morning and we have to be ready to go by 6:45 to start working at 7:00 and I totally can't fall asleep I think I'm too excited/nervous. But I'll give an updated tomorrow after my first day

Rebecca 

In Pacheio Amos Crete

So temporarily I'm turning this blog into more of a journal of my stay in Crete and working in gournia.