Come fill in the GAP!

Join the Goksu Archaeological Project!

Download the forms now!

     GAPapp05.pdf (pdf) - Due NOVEMBER 4

     Permit Information (.pdf) - Due DECEMBER 1

    Residence Permit (.pdf) - Due May 10

Applications for the 2006 field season are now available!

Fieldwalkers' duties consist of participation in intensive surface reconnaissance involving walking through rough mountainous terrain, initial processing of recovered artifacts, and data entry. Fieldwalkers also learn archaeological methods, including the use of GIS, GPS, and other applications relative to diachronic archaeological field survey.

Fieldwork in 2006 is set to occur from May 18 through June 18, 2006. Current student costs are $4603, and include roundtrip airfare to Ankara, Turkey , transportation within Turkey , room and board, visas and permits, and field supplies. Participating students will earn up to 6 credits of coursework, not included in the above cost. While no prior experience is necessary, preference is given to students of the College of Charleston.

For more information, contact Dr. Newhard at 953-5485 or via email.

A Day in the Life in the Goksu Valley

We stay in Alahan Village, which lies immediately below the ecclesiastical complex. We plan to stay in buildings rented out to us by the Forestry Department - one in the village of Alahan itself, and a second building halfway between the village and the site with a spectacular view of the valley below. The day begins at 6:15 am, when we gather for a breakfast of eggs, toast, jam, fresh local cheese and tomatoes, and tea - all served by Ahmet and his wonderful staff at the Alahan restaurant. Most of us will then load up in the project vehicles and into the valley, while others (chiefly the ceramics and GIS specialists) will return to the Forestry Buildings to conduct their work. The ride is about half an hour to 45 minutes, and many take the opportunity for an additional catnap.

Once your team has arrived in your respective areas, you will begin the day of fieldwalking. From time to time, you will encounter local farmers and curious onlookers. The people in the valley are by and large extremely friendly and generous - expect to be given gifts of fresh produce (apricots are a specialty of the region, and we work when the season comes into full swing). A small break is taken around 11:00.

At 1:00, you will finish fieldwalking, and return to the Alahan restaurant (more nap time on the way back!). We will have lunch around 2:00, and catch up with the latest discoveries. Lunch will consist typically of a hearty local dish, followed by tea.

From 3:00 to 5:00, you will have some free time. Usually this is a good time for a shower and nap. Spend the time as you wish - many find this time to be productive for journal writing as well.

From 5:00 to 7:00, we gather at the Forestry Buildings to process artifacts, enter data, download images, and conduct other similar tasks. Generally, you will rotate through these various tasks in order to gain as complete a picture as possible of the various activities that contribute towards an archaeological survey.

At 7:00, we have dinner, consisting of local Turkish fare and (you guessed it) tea. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we will meet after dinner to discuss various issues related to archaeological theory, method, and the research program of the project. The rest of the evening is yours to spend as you wish - on several occasions local musicians will stop by the restaurant to jam, and there is inevitably a major soccer match or two during the season. Others spend the time after dinner catching up on journal writing or additional data analysis.

We will keep to this basic schedule Mondays through Friday. On Saturday, we will go into the field at the same time, but return an hour earlier. Immediately after lunch, we will scramble into the project vehicles and travel to the seaside town of Kızkalesi. We will stay at the Yaka Hotel, which is approximately 100m from the beach. On Sunday mornings, ancient sites of the area will be visited - the coast of Cilicia was well-populated in antiquity, and ancient sites litter the landscape. We'll return on Sunday evening to Alahan, just in time for dinner and more tea.

Images by Hugh Elton Jeffrey Kyer, James Newhard,

and Muharram Oral,.