I’m Covered in Dirt from Head to Toe…

Let's start with my sandle tan....  

Well, this morning began will breakfast (I really don’t think I’ll get tired of yogurt with honey) and then at 8 we got on the bus to head to Azoria.  In order to get to the site we had to hop in the back of pick-up trucks to head up a dusty and windy road (safety dad would NOT have approved!).  We stopped at another site quickly and saw the oldest olive tree on record (2000 years old!).   They used the tree for wreaths to put on the victors heads during the 2004 Olympics.   After that we had to climb up to the site.  The buildings were constructed on the side of the hill so they built retaining walls that also had cobble stone fill behind them (meaning they dug into the hillside).  There was evidence of an archaic olive press there so we also learned about how they made olive oil at the time.  The hearths were also found completely clean which means the people of the town had time to prepare when they left due to whatever forced them from the settlement.  It appears as if they suddenly abandoned the site because there were also no dead bodies found in the homes.

                                                 Kitchens.  You can see the bases of the fires.

                                                           Dirt Road

Next we headed to Gournia to see another site (also covered in tons of dirt), which was found by Harriet Boyd while she was at the ASCSA.  She started excavations in 1900 and she made sure she had an even number or Turkish and Greek workers and her site because there was a lot of tension between the two groups as a result of Ottoman occupation.  The site had been abandoned from 1200 BC until the time of the first excavation so there was a lot to discover!  The site is currently being excavated and so we actually got to see some people digging, sifting soil and we had the chance to see them pull a pot out of the ground!!  We also saw where they had unearthed a bench that had a vat and a drain (with a pithos underneath) to make wine.

          These are inside some of the houses.  They were to provide 

        water for any goats, etc. you had to bring into 

your house at night.

For lunch we headed to a souvlaki stand on the side of the road.  I had some pork on a kebab stick and it was delicious (I also had  ice cream covered in chocolate!).

                                            Beach next to stand.

Then we headed to the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete.  Here we had the chance to see what happens to the materials they dig up at sites (from Mochlos, Gournia and Azoria).  We saw a water sifter that helps sort debris in order to get soil samples to a paleobiologist  (spell check wanted me to change this to “pale biologist”).

                                                          Water sifter

Then we saw how they cleaned, dried pottery and sorted pottery pieces before they sent them off to conservation.  We had the chance to watch some of the conservationist in action, piecing together the little puzzle pieces that make up each piece of pottery.  We got to see a Minoan cooking vessel that they’d just put together.  

Then we headed downstairs where they keep the items that they have pieced together.  In the back of the basement in a climate controlled room we got to see the metal artifacts that had been discovered at Mochlos!!!  It was sooooooo cool!  We saw saws, bowls, axes….

Now we’re on the bus driving along the north coast of Crete heading back to Hirakleion.  From there we’ll take the overnight ferry back to Pireas and then a quick drive back to own home away from home in Athens. 

                                                Time to get on the ferry!!
                               

Okay, the ferry this time was AWESOME!  We had AC in our rooms but couldn’t change the temperature so we all froze last night (only to return to a building without AC).

This morning we got up at 5:30, got on a bus and headed back to the school for breakfast, laundry and library time.

Somewhat of a calm couple of days…

First off, thanks to Sarah G. for being my only official follower.   Either she has read each post over 10 times or the rest of you are just reading but not becoming official followers.

This morning we got to sleep in until 7:30!!!  We had breakfast at the hotel that consisted of an amazing spread!  Lots of fresh fruit and a mini chocolate croissant!  Then we headed off to the Heraklio Museum.  Our professor pointed out that although the museum was small, it housed some of the best finds, the finds that you see in textbooks and discuss in classes….

After the museum we headed to the site of Malia where the French are excavating.  They haven’t been able to identify the name of the site so it is named after a nearby town. Dr. Maud Devolder took us around the site that was home to another Minoan palace.

                                                       Silo foundations at Malia

Next week headed to Aghios Nikolaos for lunch along a little harbor on the northern coast of Crete.  I also finally bought some stamps for postcards (DISCLAIMER: Only children get postcards from me.  So if you want a postcard, have a child.  However, if you only have a child in order to receive postcards, you probably shouldn’t be raising kids.)

From there we drove to Mochlos.  The town is located on a great harbor on northern Crete.  The site itself is situated on an island!  As a result of this we took a tiny boat over (some people swam) to the site.   The site is currently being excavated (they had been digging that day!) and so we got a great tour by Jonathan Flood who is the current Field Director of the site.  At the site they have also discovered some ash from the volcanic explosion on Thera and we got to touch an itsy bitsy tiny weeny portion of that which was pretty cool.

                                              The site is located on this island

                             
                                                Altar at Mochlos

“Now” we’re on a bus winding through mountains toward Siteia where we’ll be saying for two nights.  Tomorrow we’re hiking the Gorge of the Dead.  Hmmmm…. Hopefully you’ll hear from me tomorrow

Okay, it’s tomorrow (could get on line last night).

I survived the hike into the Gorge of the Dead (named so because they are some Minoan burial sites there) this morning.  It was only 4 km so not that bad at all (although it was pretty hot).   Before the gorge we headed to the archaeological museum in town at 8:30 to check out some of the artifacts.

From there we headed to the ancient Minoan Palace of Zakros and walked around there learning about the history and the excavation of the site.

                                                  Kiln at the Zakros palace

After that we walked a few minutes into the town of Kato Zakros for lunch and a swim.  Lunch was delicious!!  All the fruits and vegetables came from the huge garden behind the restaurant.  I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to eat another US tomato after the ones here!!  Then I walked for a bit in the water before we headed back to Siteia.

We got back really early (4:30) because the monastery we were suppose to go to was closed for siesta.  Instead we got our first early day (done before 6:30!!) and got the head to the beach in Siteia (and I also got time to upload more pics!)

Tomorrow evening we take the overnight ferry back to the mainland (unless I conveniently get “lost” on Crete and have to stay here!).

I Think I Can Decode Modern Greek…

However my comprehension of what I read is equivalent to that of my seven-month-old nephew would get.
Oh, and there would be a lot more pictures here, but the computer was slow uploading...

It’s been a busy (take your definition of busy and multiply by 100 and add in scorching heat) couple of days. 

On Sunday (or at least what the group decided to call Sunday) we woke up bright and early and headed down to the museum in Chania.  Along the way we stopped in the only synagogue on Crete and a rabbi spoke to us about the history of the Jewish community on the island (it was pretty interesting).  Then we made it to the museum where we got to see a whole bunch of things that my brain has decided to store away in a secret place for now.

Then we headed to a Minoan cemetery in Armeni.  There are roughly 273 tombs at the site, but archaeologists have yet to discover the town connected to the burials.   We also got to go down into the tombs.  

Then we went to the town of Spili for lunch (I had some delicious rabbit!) and some shopping.  (I’m pretty sure we did about 3 more things somewhere in there, but I honestly cannot piece the day together now)  After that we headed to Matala for the evening.  We went to the beach for awhile and got to enjoy the amazing sunset.  Matala is known for its dwellings built into the side of the cliffs during the Neolithic era AND for hippies deciding to live in these dwellings in the 1960’s.

Today (Monday) we woke up bright and early to get on the bus by 7:50 to head to Phaistos.  I’m so tired right now that I’m just going to make a list of what we did…

1.     Phaistos

2.     Gortyn and the Gortyn Law Code

3.     Vathypetro (which was closed… but some people decided to scale the fence!)

4.     Fourni (we hiked up a really steep hill…. And this was all before lunch): more burial sites

5.     Lunch on a bus in 15 minutes (pb and j)

6.     Knossos  (which was awesome… but really, really, really hot) We received a tour by the curator at Knossos (it’s been so great to have some of the top people in these fields take the time to speak to us!)

Knossos is where the story of Theseus and the Minotaur is suppose to have taken place…

Theseus (the link is kind of cheesy): http://www.mythweb.com/heroes/theseus/theseus01.html

Finally we headed to Heraklion for the night.  Our hotel has AMAZING air conditioning and a rooftop pool (which I didn’t actually get to go in).  For dinner I had some grilled octopus which was delicious!!

Okay, bedtime!!!!

Today We Hung Out Underground Most of the Day

When we last left off I was heading to the ferry that would take me and the rest of the group to Crete.  The Greek definition of ferry turned out to be very different that my image (I was picturing the Staten Island Ferry).  This was more like a Carnival Cruise Ship minus Kathie Lee Gifford.  This “ferry” had ten stories, cabins to sleep in, a casino, restaurants and a disco.  It was kind of weird.

During dinner we sadly watched the Germans destroy the Greeks in the Euro Cup…

We woke up at 5:30 am to get ready for the boat to dock and to watch the sun rise over the Mediterranean Sea.  

 Then we boarded our bus to head to Chania, Crete.

Map of Crete:  http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/greece/crete/

 In Chania we went to Venizelos Tomb, which was to honor a native of Crete who helped lead the fight for independence against the Turks.  Then we headed to Suda Bay which is a cemetery for Bristish, New Zeland and Australian soldiers who were killed in WWII when the Germans invaded Crete.  Some of the soldiers were actually archaeologists who saw the importance of keeping Crete out of the hands of the Germans.

Next we headed to Arkadi to visit a 17^th century monastery and church   However, on our way there our professor surprised us with a trip to a local olive oil factory where we learned about the olive oil making process and got to taste some fabulous oil!

Back to the monastery… The monastery is walled in so it also serves to protect the people in the surrounding villages.  When the Turks came into Crete and the town of Akadi, the villagers locked themselves behind the monastery walls.  The church has been storing weapons in the refinery (dining room) to defend themselves.  They soon realized they did not have enough weapons to win and so they changed tactics.  The priests went out to fight and then lured the Turks inside the walls.  They then led them to the refinery, where, in the ultimate sign of sacrifice, they people of Arkadi lit the gunpowder in the room, killing themselves and the Turkish soldiers.  Today there is a shrine with the remains of those killed in the blast.

Next we headed to the town of Eleutherna and we climbed down into two HUGE underground (flashlights necessary) cisterns where ancient people stored their water.  There we also saw a foot print which had been preserved under the floor of the cistern, meaning it was from as old as ancient Rome.  Then we walked into an underground corridor where the water would come through, and that was pretty cool.  We also went to some graves they are excavating and there were still some skulls and bones left in the tombs, waiting to be excavated.

                                                                From Inside of the Cistern 

For lunch we went to the town of Margarites.  I had goat (yum), some great tzaiki, fried saganaki cheese and dakos, which are kind of like bruschetta.  Then we headed to meet a local potter who still makes pots using styles that have been used since Mycenaean times.  He explained some of the tricks of pottery and then made a cup in front of us called the “Cup of Justice.”   The cups are used to make sure that no one is greedy when passing around wine.  If someone tries to take more than everyone else the cups empties itself.  It is believed that the cup was created by Pythagoras.

Finally we head to Melidoni to go into a CAVE!!!!  The cave has been inhabited since Neolithic times and inside is a shrine from the late-Minoan period.  There are inscriptions to the god Pan on the outside of the cave.

Pan information:    http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Pan.html

When the cave was discovered there were so many pottery shards on the ground that you could barely walk.  There are still a lot today so as you walk you can stop and touch all the broken pottery on the ground.  This is the site of another sad example of the tolls of war.  In 1824 when the Turks came in the people of the town hid in the caves.  The Turks then threw fire into the cave, shut the entrance and suffocated the people of the village.  There is a shrine to them in the cave.  

There's also lots of guano in the cave... it was kind of gross.

Right now we’re driving along the northern coast of Crete and heading back to Chania to go swimming and get some sleep!!  

Addendum: we went to the beach.  The water was GREAT and the sunset was cool too.  We kept all of our stuff together to make sure no one robbed us... a dog peed on some of our stuff.... ugh.

Inside the Parthenon and Other Awesomeness…

Well, let me begin with yesterday (Thursday)…

We left Athens at 7:30 am to drive around the Attica countryside to look at sites.  

Map of Attica:  http://www.in2greece.com/mappages/stereaellada/attica.htm

The first site we hit was Brauron where we saw and ancient temple to Artemis.

Info about Artemis:  http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Artemis.html

They’re not exactly sure what the temple was used for and I’m not going to go into all of the theories.

Next we went to Thorikos where we had the chance to see a tholos, which is a tomb built by the Mycenaeans of Greece.  First we had to hike up a steep hill in a crazy amount of wind (windy enough to lose your balance at times). A tholos is a HUGE hive shaped burial sites and they ancient Greeks place large cylinders into the ground and then dug the dirt up (which they saved to then cover the burials) and then the built it using rocks.  There was no scaffolding needed for the top of the roof because the way they designed it created enough pressure for the roof to hold itself up.  Then we went to see where the silver and lead mines in Thorikos were and we saw the foundations of the areas used by slaved to sort the metal out from the dirt.

                                                               Tholos

Finally we headed to Sounion to see the Temple of Poseidon!!!  The temple is located on a hill (because it’s so much easier to protect yourself on a hilltop, much of ancient Greece is located on a hill) overlooking a beautiful harbor. 

Poseidon: http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Poseidon.html

                                                   Temple of Poseidon

After a long bus ride back I quickly showered and rushed over to a Fulbright reception where I met the US Ambassador to Greece, which was pretty cool.

Then  I headed to Loring Hall for a late bedtime and some packing because this evening (Friday) we leave on an overnight ferry for 6 days on Crete!!

Today we started a bit later than yesterday and hiked up to the acropolis and then to the Parthenon, where we got to go INSIDE!!  It’s been closed off for years due to restoration projects.  We had a chance to learn about the history of the Parthenon, previous restoration efforts and the current restoration effort (most of which is being paid for by the EU).  It was really neat to see how the restoration was being done and to further my knowledge of Greek architecture (dad, would you like to pay for another child to get a degree in architecture?!?!).  Quick fact on the Parthenon (and other Greek buildings, sculptures): they were painted in bright colors.

                                               Parthenon

Then I spent the afternoon in the (air-conditioned) library to do research.

Okay, time to head off to Crete!!

I Want to Be an Arch-/Anthro_ (fill in the blank) __________________

Oh, so THIS is why I got a MA in history and not education…. You can do five million things with a history degree!!

This morning we went to the Hephaisteion, or Temple of Hephaestus.

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Hephaistos.html

I’ve been there before, but we had Professor John Camp telling us about the doric architecture and it was AWESOME!!  Growing up I remember these green books in our basement that housed all sorts of random architectural information.  I loved to look at them.  Huh, wonder where that interest came from?!  We learned all about the temple and got to go inside since Professor Camp who is head of excavation for the ASCSA at the agora. 

   

                                                                  Hephaisteion

After that we headed to the stoa (which is a recreation) and we had the chance to see how they processed and catalogued artifacts discovered at the agora.  It was pretty cool.  We saw how the process had changed over time and saw the new computer catalogued which is so amazing I cannot even begin to describe it, but we will be using it in class when the program comes out!!!

Next we headed to the basement of the stoa and learned about some of the bodies that had been discovered at the site.  We got to see what arthritis looked like on bones and how you could tell if someone had had their throat slit.  I also got to hold some human remains and look at the trauma to the bone, which was really cool.  We also learned about the cremation process and how it impacts the bones!

We had lunch and then moved on to another library at the ASCSA the Gennadius Library.  Here I got to see the first ever printing press copy of Homer’s works made in Florence in 1488.  I also got to see the archives where they have original letters detailing the discovery of liner b!!!!!!  We also saw some of the ASCSA artifacts and got the chance to hold them (it's pretty cool to hold a pot that was made in the 4th c. BCE!!  It's everything you've wanted to do in a museum but were told not too!).  Then we moved on to the lab where the do more work with bone and animal remains as well as soil.  They look at disease and burial practices (and other things as well).

                                                              Homer

As a result of this day (and the fact the NYS is changing all their standards and testing) I have decided to COMPLETELY change my approach to teaching and I have some really cool stuff in store for the students next year!! 

Eventually dinner happened and now it’s time for bed (or to work on my reports, whichever comes first!).

Library and more hiking!!

Well, the lack of AC didn't kill me last night so those of you reading this blog are darn lucky!
This morning we had breakfast which for me consisted of yogurt with honey (calling it "greek" yogurt while in Greece would be weird), granola and scrambled eggs.  Then we headed to the Blegen Library to have our library orientation.  I secretly love libraries... as long as they're good libraries.  This library is pretty darn awesome and has ton of material for me to use for my research this summer!! Yippee!  The library overview to over an hour b/c there was a lot to go over (it's a non-circulating library).  It's also open to ASCSA members (of which I am:)  )  24 hours a day.  It's also air-conditioned so who wants to do the math on this one?  After that we had orientation to Loring Hall where we're staying and got a brief history of the building.
Then lunch... nothing fancy here.

After lunch we headed out for another hike (because hiking on an open hill at 2:30 in 85 degree weather is always a blast!) toward the Athenian acropolis.  Here we visited the Areopagos which was where the court of appeals was located in classical times.

Next we head to the Pnyx.  I had actually neither seen nor heard of this before... It is where the Athenian citizenry (you know...men) would get together every 10 days or so to pass legislation.  Professor Susan Rotroff from University of Wash. St. Louis took us around the site and explained how it had actually gone through three different phases of construction and what archaeologists had learned/uncovered about the site.  Meetings began in the morning and anyone who was allowed to speak could do so (imagine allowing Congress to do this with no rules or time limits, just constant filibusters!).

                                                                  Pnyx

After that we headed up another hill (across from the acropolis) to Philopappos which is a victory arch at the very top of the city of Athens.  Tombs were not permitted in the city limits of Athens, but this man had contributed so much (monetarily) to the city that he was allowed to be buried in the city.

We also saw a sanctuary of Pan that they discovered while rebuilding for the 2004 Olympics.  Pan did not show up in mythology until around the time of the Persian War (specifically the Battle of Marathon).
Pan: http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Pan.html

                                              Can you find me?

After that we walked backed to the dorms and changed for a reception at the home of the Director of the School Professor Jack Davis.  We got to meet with some of the professors doing soe pretty fascinating research at the school.
American School of Classical Studies at Athens: http://www.ascsa.edu.gr/

Okay, I need to go to bed...

My Inner History Nerd is Giddy with Excitement!!

Today I officially moved into Loring Hall, the dorm I’ll be staying in while I’m studying at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.  This also means no air-conditioning…luckily summers living with no AC in Spain and working outside in the summer in New Orleans has more than prepared me for this.

After I moved in I went to the Fulbright office where I got to meet 3 teachers from Greece who did exchange programs in the US (2 studied at GMU and did observations at Thomas Jefferson and Woodson).  It was a great chance to learn about the Greek education system and one of the teachers even created a document that explains how certain aspects the Greek school system are different from ours.  Here are some examples:  Their PUBLIC high school population is about 250, They have national testing at the high school level (as opposed to state testing, curriculum is nationwide as well), students stay in the same classroom all day and instead the teachers move from class to class (I’d have to take down the towns on my wall L  ), in high school if a teacher is absent there is no substitute (they have study hall or can leave if it’s last period), no art or music classrooms, 1-2 laptops in EACH SCHOOL, not as much of sense of community (no Homecoming, Back to School Nights, little parent involvement), no social works or psychologists, very little knowledge of learning disabilities at the high school level, and now the kicker…. Before the current economic crisis beginning teachers were getting paid around 23,000.  After the crisis (now)  1-6 years of teaching… $14,000!!!!

After that meeting/lunch I headed back to Loring Hall where we had tea at 5:30 and I got to meet some of the other students at the school.  Our professor then walked us up to the top of Mt. Lykavittos (photo included – but taken from the Acropolis when I was here 4 years ago) where you can see all of Athens… and here is where the history dork in me got all giddy!  The view of the Acropolis was AMAZING!  We also saw the island of Salamis and the hill where King Xerxes had his throne put so he could watch the ships fight in the straight of Salamis during the Persian Wars.  For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about (although students… we learned this) the Persians had one of the greatest fleets in the world and the Athenians had primarily fishing vessels.  Well, Salamis creates a narrow straight and the large Persian boats were unable to navigate effectively and the Athenians won.  We also saw where Athens used to have acres upon acres of olive trees (which the Spartans of course wanted to burn down during the Peloponnesian War).

Now Mt. Lykavittos has a myth behind its creation and I included a link for that story.  http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/athena/myths/athena-lycabettus-hill/

View of Acropolis from hill:

At dinner we got to eat/meet with some of the other people who are doing work in various areas through the school.  I meet a woman whose background is in forensic anthropology and now she does paleoanthropology.  I learned some really cool information about the burial process in ancient Greece that has continued through today (I’ll explain later is anyone is curious).

Alright, time for bed!

Arrival in Athens!

After 10 + hours on various planes (with the most ridiculous layover in Frankfurt) and two security people patting down my hair incase I was hiding anything suspicious in there, I have arrived in Athens.   I was able to sleep for about 6 hours so I'm hoping to avoid jet lag!

Our cab driver used ancient Greek bungee cord skills to rope all of the luggage into the trunk.  As of now I'm staying with three other women who received the scholarship.   Tomorrow we move into the dorms on the campus of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA).

For dinner (because I can't leave out food!), I had a greek salad and haloumi cheese on a kabob (haloumi is probably the best thing I learned about last time I was in Greece!).

We have seen a lot of voting but no chaos and there isn't really expected to be any.  Should be interesting to see what the outcome is.

Tomorrow we have a luncheon at the Fulbright Foundation and then a tour of the ASCSA campus.  I should have some more stuff to report tomorrow (because I am even boring myself right now).

June 14

Well, 2 days until the Summer Extravaganza of 2012!!  I’ve made some pretty darn good decisions over the course of my life…

On Saturday I leave for 6 ½ weeks in Greece, followed by 1 week in Turkey, ½ a week in Romania, some days in Hungary and the Czech Republic and 5 – 6 days in Munich.

Thank you to those of you reading my blog.  I should let you know that small children and my high school students will be following along, so all of your comments will have to go through me before they are posted.

I’m looking forward to turning into even more of a social studies nerd during this trip and I am hoping to turn some of you into partial nerds.

Greece is currently a bit chaotic.  People are pulling their money out of banks, which has led me to consider bringing Monopoly money (yes, small children and my students do not mean sarcasm will not exist!) on my travels.  I am also going to some countries where freedom of the press isn’t really a right, so I’ll have to e-mail my thoughts on a few issues a bit later.

I’ll be covering a lot about Greek Mythology (lots and lots).  I love the stories of the ancient Greeks.  I told my nephew about how Cronus ate his children and then swallowed a rock and threw them up.  My dad did not think this was an appropriate story to tell a 5 year old… my 5 year nephew thought it was cool.  However, his opinion of me changed dramatically the next time I saw him.   I told him that I was going to see the palace that was believed to have housed the Minotaur (body of a man, head of a bull).  I explained that the Minotaur was in the center of a maze and that Theseus went in to fight him.   My nephew then asked (with a hint of amazement and awe in his voice) “Are you going to go in and fight the Minotaur?!”    I realized I had to be a responsible adult and I did not want to be responsible for causing nightmares, so I said, “Oh, it’s only a story.  I don’t have to fight a Minotaur.”   My response elicited a look of disappointment from my nephew, as if “Aunt Jennie was so cool, until I found out that she can’t even slay a Minotaur.”  So I may have to slay a half man half bull to regain my credibility.

I have a lot of work/research to do while in Greece, but I hope to blog every night or so (and students, please forgive me if I fail to run spell check every now and then, or if I forget the whole grammar thing.).

And this is how the adventure begins…