Advertisement
Published: August 9th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Hello all,
I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated but I have much to share with you. First, this blog dedicated to my time at Helike (or Nikolaiika) and another two devoted to my trips to Olympia and the Argolid, respectively.
As some of you know, I’ve spent the last three weeks participating in a dig in and around the village of Nikolaiika on the shore of the Northern Peloponnese, about an hour from Patra. On the whole it was an incredible experience, largely because of the people I met there.
The first two weeks, there were 11 of us altogether: Aliki, a Greek-Canadian who’d just completed a Masters in Archaeology; Effie, a Greek-American who is currently an undergraduate at Tulane; Jessica, a girl from Pennsylvania who’s just completed her undergraduate; Rachael and Erika, two middle school teachers from Colorado who came to learn field techniques to teach their students; Katie, my roommate, who’s going to school in Chicago, and who spent last summer at a dig in Belize; Michal and Justina, a young Polish couple who have been working in archaeology in different parts of Europe for the past few years; Michael, a non-profit organizer from
Bullshit
Left to right- Effie, Katie, Michael, Jessica and Aliki playing a game of bullshit- hence the title. New York who had been studying for a masters in archaeology (his second); Yiannis, a Ph D physicist from Athens, currently working at research institute in Hamburg; and me of course.
The first week, we were all at the Late Hellenistic/Roman site at Helike. This isn’t the era that I specialize in, but it was a good site for me to cut my excavating teeth. During the first week there I learned quite a lot, like when to get excited about dirt and when not to. The first couple of days were all cleanup and breaking ground. Much to my surprise, I proved my worth as a fairly strong (or at least persistent) shoveler. I actually quite enjoyed doing the shoveling because I found it sort of exhilarating, and when it’s over 100 degrees outside, you take your adrenaline rushes where you can get them. Also I got to spend a lot of time with Michael and Yianni, both really awesome people.
The site itself was mostly as it was left last year. They believe that it was a dye-works complex. There were a number of basins and vats covered over with boards and things. This year we broke
new ground to one side of it and found a destruction layer of tiles in situ. The next week, after I’d gone over to the Proto-Geometric, site they also found a kiln.
During that first week, we all became acquainted with the village of Nikolaiika itself. Nikolaiika is a somewhat primitive resort town with no shortage of beachside tavernas. Of course there’s no bank and no place to access the internet, so you have to go to Aigion, the next town, if you need either one, hence my internet difficulties. We all had quite a lot of downtime, so most of us spent a lot of time hanging out on the beach, or driving back and forth to Aigio to use the internet. Toward the end of the first week, we got a preview of things to come when a large forest fire swept across the mountains about a mile to the south.
That weekend, a group of us including Michael, Rachael, Erika, Michal and Justina took a trip down to Olympia (to be detailed in another blog).
The second week, I went over to the Proto Geometric site they opened in Nikolaiika. Found a pile of
field stones and at one end was a hearth with a large stone in the center with what may have been a pebble floor. Found a few nice Proto-geometric sherds with painting, some cookware, and one small sherd that may have been Late Helladic. I personally much preferred working here to working at the Roman site for a number of reasons, but mainly because it was closer to the time period I’m most interested in. Also the site was somewhat cooler temperature wise than the large, dusty, unshaded Roman site, which I really appreciated as the second week was by far the hottest in the time I was there.
On Wednesday of that week, the temperature reached about 45 degrees Celsius, which is about 116 Fahrenheit. It was on that day that the second and most severe fire took place in the mountains just south of Nikolaiika. After work that day, our group was all at the beach. At one point, Yianni and I were in the water about 20 meters or so out from shore, talking, relaxing and treading the cool, calm water. Suddenly, two of the firefighting planes swooped low above our heads and skimmed the surface
My digging buddies
Fellow shovel-jocks Michael and Yiannis. Although Yiannis was more of a pick-axe jock. of the water a little further out from shore, drawing water to try to extinguish the fire. A few minutes later, we got out of the water and looked toward the mountains, now billowing with smoke. Then we saw the flames that were quickly spreading down the side of the mountain. Only at this point we comprehended the magnitude of this fire, and the two airplanes and the little helicopter with the bucket which has so impressed us moments before suddenly seemed woefully inadequate.
As the afternoon wore on, the fire crept far enough down the mountains behind the hotel to give everyone in our little group thoughts of evacuating. It blazed through the night and I don’t think any of us got much sleep. We all gathered our belongings and waited and listened to the news. Fortunately, the fire never quite made it to the bottom of the mountain and choked out in the early morning hours. In the end, 200 homes and a monastery were burned, and four people were dead. After that, the mountains were plagued by numerous smaller brushfires for several days.
The rest of that week was relatively uneventful. At the end of that
My best archaeology face
Although, I am conspicuously clean. That was rare. week, Rachael, Erika, Jessica, Michael and Yianni all left. It was a little difficult for those of us who remained as we had all formed very close friendships with the people who were leaving. That weekend, I took a solo trip to the Argolid (detailed elsewhere) and when I returned Sunday night, 12 new people from different places had joined us, including a group from Canada, and few people from England. It was a rather large group so I didn’t get to know all of them really well, but I did become especially friendly with a couple from England named David and Deborah. Nearly every night that week I went for after dinner drinks with them and Prof. Weir from Canada as well as some of the Canadian students. They were all great people and I only wish I’d gotten to spend more time with them.
The next week, my last, the Proto-Geometric site where I had been was closed after prolonged digging in one part of it failed to produce a worthwhile amount of material. So, that Tuesday, I was moved to the Proto-Helladic site newly opened in the village of Rizomylos. The trench was in an area
Second fire
Around midnight with a high water table, so everyone had to wear wellies, and I got to break out my lace up boots that I’d bought for the dig. The site quickly proved promising. We found a Found a late Proto-Helladic destruction level consisting of a multi-roomed building with pebble flooring that still survived in places. We also found a lot of pottery, some of it smashed pots found in situ, and also quite a number of pig bones. At this site, a geologist named Dimitri was in charge of the trench, and he was wonderful to work with. He didn’t speak much English and I don’t speak much Greek, but one of the girls who spoke Greek was there to translate. By the end we were all working pretty well together. Unfortunately by the time we’d scratched the surface it was time for me to leave Nikolaiika. I’m really looking forward to hearing about what they turn up in that area in the coming weeks.
I also look forward to keeping in touch with all my new friends, and perhaps meeting up with some of them in the future, circumstances permitting. Now, I’m off to Crete and Kos for the
The Proto-Geometric site
Located in Nikolaiika, close to the hotel. next two weeks. I have no idea what the internet situation will be there, but I will update whenever I can.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.074s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 10; qc: 48; dbt: 0.0382s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Robyn
non-member comment
Yayyyyyyyy
Libba, I am so happy to have an update. Seems you had some blog site troubles. I loved seeing where you were digging and seeing pictures of you with a tan. Hahahah. All is well here ... looking forward to more of your travels. Love, Robyn