AMA - Classical Archaeology

[u/Tiako]

Classical antiquity is period of roughly a thousand years between the rise of the Greek polis and the collapse of the Roman Mediterranean system, and includes at different times the entire Mediterranean basin and beyond. There are a variety of ways to examine this period, and today this panel will discuss the archaeology, or the material remains, a category that includes the massive monumental temple at Baalbek and the carbonized seeds from an Italian farmhouse. Our panelists introduce themselves:

/u/pqvarus: I've specialized in Ancient Greek Archaeology, my geographic field of interest is Asia Minor (from the Archaic Period onwards) and as a result of my PhD project I'm focussing on the archaeology of ancient greek religion (especially cult practice) and material culture studies.

/u/Astrogator: I've just finished my MA at the department of Ancient History and Epigraphics (my BA was in History, Philosophy and Political Science), and my main interests are in provincial epigraphic cultures, especially the Danube region, and the display of dress on sepulchral monuments (and how both are tied to questions of Romanization and Identity).

/u/Tiako: I am an MA student studying the economy of the Early Imperial Period of the Roman Empire. My focus is on commerce, particularly Rome's maritime trade with India.

However, there is more to classical civilization than marble temples an the Aeneid, and there is more to the period than Greece and Rome. To provide a perspective from outside what is usually considered “classical” civilization, we have included three panelists from separate but closely intertwined fields of study. They are:

/u/Aerandir: I am archaeologist studying Iron Age communities. Currently I am working on a PhD on the fortifications of the first millennium AD in Denmark. Danish and Dutch material is what I am most familiar with.

/u/missingpuzzle: I have studied Hellenistic period Eastern Arabia, particularly specializing in settlement patterns and trade. I have also studied the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean trade from the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods.

/u/Daeres: Hi I'm Daeres, and I have an MA in Ancient History. My archaeological focus is on the Ancient Near East in the First Millenium BC, Bactria, and the Aegean, though I am primarily a historian rather than an archaeologist. I have an inordinate fondness for numismatics, and also epigraphy. But I especially concentrate on the archaeological evidence for Hellenistic era Bactria.

And so with knots cut and die cast, we await your questions.

[u/pqvarus]

I've been working in the find department of my excavation for the last five years, so my average working day might be a little different from the ones who actually are out in the field.

• 6.30 AM: Getting up. Breakfast.
• 7 AM: Work starts. Usually we would take advantage of the chilly hours in the morning and deal with outside works such as sorting potsherds on huge tables and the like.
• 12 AM: Lunchbreak. The faster you eat, the longer the nap.
• 1 PM: Back to work. It's extremely hot now, so you better do some database work on the computer.
• 4 PM: The collegues arrive from the field. This can be quite hectic on bigger excavations as you have to record what they bring in (boxes of ceramics, special finds, etc.). You will deal with this for the next two hours or so. If you're lucky you can take a shower before:
• 7 PM: Dinner!
• 8 PM: Back to the desk. This is actually my favourite part of the working day – I like to use it for drawing ceramics while listening to music and having a beer.
• 10-11 PM: Have a little chat with the collegues. Go to bed.

This would be like this for six days a week on a campaign of two months. (Seventh day = Sunday: Sleep!) It might sound stressful but there is actually seldom if ever a day on which I'm not happy about my job.

[u/ImUsingDaForce → u/pqvarus]

Oh jeez, that sounds awesome! Going on my first excavation in a few months and am really psyched about it! What should i prepare for, something that caught you off guard?

[u/pqvarus → u/ImUsingDaForce]

That really depends on what you are going to do there. Some things I wish I'd taken on my first trip:

• Even if you are not going to work in the field or 'the field' doesn't seem rough: bring hiking boots you're really comfortable with!
• Bring a sleeping bag for a maximum of independence on weekend excursions.
• If you are going to share a room: Earplugs!
• If you are going to draw ceramics: a personal set of drawing material you are used to.

And as a bonus, although it's something I didn't do but saw way to often: DON'T BRING AN INDIANA JONES HAT!

[u/Tiako → u/pqvarus]

Someone I dug with wore an official Indiana Jones merchandise hat he bought from WalMart. It was surprisingly comfy.