New dispatches from the field: More telegraphed expedition notes

A letter from Turkey. In which is again reported from an excavation expedition in short dispatches cabled directly from the field.

Turkey, September 2015

yes, I am back in the field. As you probably remember from one of my latest letters on the topic, our research team is excavating this early Neolithic site in Turkey’s southeast during not only one, but two seasons each for a couple of years now. And after reviving the good old field dispatch earlier this year during our regular ‘spring campaign’ with these up-to-the-minute expedition telegrams – admittedly slightly modernised in the form of 140-character messages (commonly called ‘tweets’) though, I indeed intend to continue this ‘experiment in travel narration’ upon my return to the dusty plains of south-eastern Anatolia this autumn again.

So, yes – without much ado, I think I’ll just continue the #ExcavationDiary by adding these latest expedition’s dispatches, again filled with everyday field routine and #MyAnatolianVillageLife. Cabled home in real time, again. Modern times, indeed. Wouldn’t you agree?

Brought for long evenings at Anatolian #excavation house. Appropriate reading. ;-) #AgathaChristie125 pic.twitter.com/kJ1QiWHMfc

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 20, 2015

Duffel bag packed for upcoming #FieldSeason. Almost forgot #sketchbook. Unforgivable!

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 20, 2015

Great, @TurkishAirlines invested in a new entertainment center. Should be a diverting flight. ;-) See you in Istanbul.

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 21, 2015

Ah, finally made it to Turkey's very southeast. Excavation house (#HomeSweetHome) as cosy as if I never left. ;-) #ExcavationDiary

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 21, 2015

So, no domestic flight pun sandwich for me today (cheese instead of usual #Turkey), but @TurkishAirlines' chocolate mousse still wins! 😉

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 21, 2015

Once more: Any place I hang my hat is home. Our rural Anatolian village idyll. #ExcavationDiary pic.twitter.com/6z7CqTw5YE

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 21, 2015

Um, think I just seen my first tank around here. On a truck bed. Truck driving away. So, nothing to worry here, right? #ExcavationDiary

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 21, 2015

Right back at the Tepe. Summer's not yet ceasing; tourist numbers somehow did, though, it seems. #ExcavationDiary pic.twitter.com/fbnopYwdwE

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 22, 2015

Cook returned from shopping groceries. Could feed entire village now, I think. #feasting #ExcavationDiary

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 22, 2015

Please help me, why exactly should I bother to ever leave the #excavation house again? ;-) #ExcavationDiary pic.twitter.com/FnvwJ8U68z

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 22, 2015

Why, of course I missed being woken up by the muezzin's call at 4 a.m. Glad you asked. :-p #ExcavationDiary

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 23, 2015

Remember how lush the Tepe looked back in spring? Well, this certainly changed over summer. #ExcavationDiary pic.twitter.com/wz8i6zsCLz

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 23, 2015

Fig anyone? Freshly picked, sweet like sugar. The Tepe's spoiling us this year. ;-) pic.twitter.com/fvqnisR4Nx

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 23, 2015

A lot if sheep around. Seems there is a #FeastOfTheSacrifice forthcoming. "A what" you ask? Well,… https://t.co/m6iwRqJyb2

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 23, 2015

That view from the excavation house. #MyAnatolianVillageLife #Turkey #Anatolia #excavation… https://t.co/X3OIGekIPM

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 23, 2015

Today, live at the Tepe: "The Men Who Stare at Profiles". Archaeologists. #ExcavationDiary (Photo: @SabriyYILDIZ1) pic.twitter.com/O6qPzhpZSh

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 23, 2015

Not suspecting anything, is it? Well, happy #FeastOfTheSacrifice anyway. #IyiBayramlar #SilenceOfTheLambs pic.twitter.com/GdFE4j8teJ

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 24, 2015

Lot of animal noise around here in the village. Some nervous sheep it seems. Oh, silence … #MyAnatolianVillageLife #ExcavationDiary

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 24, 2015

Happy holidays! Yes, it's the #FeastOfTheSacrifice again. Feast of what, you ask? This: http://t.co/f7B3uRESUW #iyibayramlar #eidmubarak

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 24, 2015

Neighbors just brought little sheep into courtyard. How cute. Oh, wait … #MyAnatolianVillageLife #ExcavationDiary #FeastOfTheSacrifice

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 24, 2015

Neighbour kids insistently ringing door bell. Demanding sweets (the holidays!). There goes my bag of @mmschocolate. #MyAnatolianVillageLife

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 24, 2015

Dear jet-lagged cockerel, no the sun won't rise half past 1 a.m. – not even if you're crowing til you're hoarse. #MyAnatolianVillageLife

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 25, 2015

Wait – almost a week at the #excavation and not a single #FieldSelfie yet?! Outrageous! pic.twitter.com/apSwCBs9HN

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 25, 2015

Great to see how with incr. tourism at site our former 'diggers' get chance to grow into white collar jobs: security, sale, bus driver.

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 25, 2015

Shopping souvenirs at own #excavation site's visitor centre. Like a tourist. :-p But look at all this stuff! :-D pic.twitter.com/DLsFA74aML

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 25, 2015

Dear mosquitoes, I'm OK sharing my blood, but would you please stop buzzing around my head all night? Thanks. #ExcavationDiary

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 26, 2015

#ExcavationDiary: Features way down in old #excavation trenches – access removed long ago. Finally hours in #bouldering gym pay off! ;-)

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 26, 2015

Looking out of side window, radio playing Kurdish traditionals, can't but appreciate these barren plains' untamed beauty. #ExcavationDiary

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 26, 2015

Photoshoot. On a thin line. All for science! ;-) #ExcavationDiary (Photo by @SabriyYILDIZ1 again) pic.twitter.com/EeInY003hk

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 26, 2015

You know winter's coming when the villagers suddenly start to built huge pyramids of, well … dung flat cakes. #MyAnatolianVillageLife

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 26, 2015

My contribution for #THJ15: some #Neolithic ducks; a quick sketch (@FiftyThree's Paper on iPad) from the trenches. pic.twitter.com/WsqQUXzASA

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 26, 2015

Late at the Tepe. Thought, @TheShackletonCo might enjoy recognizing that jumper. ;-) (Photo: @Hassanyildiz1) pic.twitter.com/NZ2kG9HSuA

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 27, 2015

#ExcavationDiary: Archaeological excursion 'into the tombs' … pic.twitter.com/WhUJkkNW9q

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 27, 2015

… soon turned into shocking documentation if large-scale systematic looting. #lasttweet pic.twitter.com/FDzu8CgYNf

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 27, 2015

Shocking traces of fresh #looting. Rock tomb entrances dug up, plundered, finds and bones scattered around. pic.twitter.com/mITwJyyRnE

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 27, 2015

Roman-Byzantine (?) #burial site. Blown-up & #looted recently. Reporting to local museum. #CulturalHeritage pic.twitter.com/kuo91wXjYs

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 27, 2015

Didn't notice, @DyingLightGame's a zombie game set in Harran. I mean, I'm practically in Harran right now. Oh, wait. pic.twitter.com/CwjNSAVbTn

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 27, 2015

Postcards from the field. Yes, #glossy postcards! Right from the #excavation. Go figure. ;-) pic.twitter.com/DnqmcxZTZo

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 27, 2015

"Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?" #ExcavationDiary (Photo: @SabriyYILDIZ1) pic.twitter.com/bKS9aDmeyS

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 27, 2015

PS: Impression of belly owed to unnatural pose. :-p

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 27, 2015

Morning of the #superharvestbloodmooneclipse. Leaving the excavation, for now. Returning, rather sooner than later. #ExcavationDiary

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 28, 2015

Ah darn, stuck in commuter traffic. Yet again. ;-) #ExcavationDiary #MyAnatolianVillageLife pic.twitter.com/AP8JQTIVpC

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 28, 2015

That actually is a thing? Always thought leftover local currency's supposed to be spend at airport bar?! #travelhacks pic.twitter.com/nLXazqasqf

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 28, 2015

What, again no 'Turkey' pun sandwich on my @TurkishAirlines domestic flight?! Did I make too many jokes about this?

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 28, 2015

Dear @istanbulairport, alright leaving luggage in rain, but somehow appreciated if you'd covered it. No fun to drag around soaked duffle.

— Jens Notroff (@vagabondslog) September 28, 2015

5 comments on “New dispatches from the field: More telegraphed expedition notes”

elbrenzink
October 9, 2015

Lovely! You always make Archeology more delightful.

Reply
- Jens
  October 11, 2015
  
  I aim to please. Well, actually I aim to misbehave, but making archaeology delightful is a nice side effect, I guess. ;-) Really glad you enjoyed these little bits and pieces!
  
  Reply
  - elbrenzink
    October 11, 2015
    
    Lol! A little bit of mischievousness is always welcome.😉
Curt Mekemson
October 10, 2015

Thanks! I really enjoyed the tour, and the humor. Snakes indeed, Mr. Jones. :) –Curt

Reply
- Jens
  October 11, 2015
  
  You’re most welcome! :-D
  
  Reply

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Letters From The Field

New dispatches from the field: More telegraphed expedition notes

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New dispatches from the field: More telegraphed expedition notes

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