Something Old

Landing in Larnaca, Cyprus this summer was the final exhale from the inhale I took leaving in 2019. My undergraduate field school had come to an end, but I knew I was going to see Makounta – Voules again. Participating in the Makounta – Voules Archaeological Project run by Dr. Grossman and Dr. Paulette, both professors at North Carolina State University, was my first experience with archaeological excavation. As the weeks went on, I found myself falling in love with all aspects of Polis Crysochous. Coming back in 2022 felt like the most natural decision. The museums, exhibits, and sites we had visited in 2019 made their appearances this time too, but I had new questions and observations. I still had the same awe filled reaction to all the sites, however. It was almost comforting to walk through the sites flooded with memories of previous photos backdrops, the best views, and the cool spots around the island. Learning from the first time I was here, I made sure to get gelato as often as possible. The biggest full circle moment occurred when I first saw the open trenches. Being a bit more comfortable with moving fast but delicately, I was reacquainted with the architecture I uncovered and detailed in 2019. However, this time I was removing the buckets of dirt we had put back in at the end of the season on the top of the tarp. I could not merely sit back and watch as they pulled the tarp back and revealed “my” archaeology baby: an in-situ pot smash. I am beyond grateful that the directors let me continue to work on it again. As a young archaeologist, it is beyond thrilling to feel the excitement of finding something new and later being able to work intimately with it again.

While I was coming back to familiar land, I was entering a whole new chapter in my career. I was bestowed a supervisory position, rather than a field student. A big learning curve came when I had to learn how to sit back and let someone else dig ‘your’ trench, one I was strongly attached to from 2019 as it was the trench I had worked in. It was a new perspective of field notes and final reports. Additionally, I had to let new archaeologists do the tasks that were my favorite (i.e. balk walk cleaning, articulating, and detailing). Being confronted with this invisible expectation I had, that field excavation roles would be the same as 2019, was something I would never have predicted to be difficult to navigate. Also, since this is a field school, I had to learn to be okay with there being accidents, mistakes, and archaeological contexts fudged on accident. These new perspectives on leading a dig only added to the knowledge and experience basket this summer.

Something Borrowed

This year, one of my main emphases was gathering background research for my upcoming master’s thesis. This included traveling around the island to find people to talk to, specific documentation, and other minutia of research. Additionally, some days in the field I had to step out to make sure I was writing and reading. I am very luck to have gotten to know, very well, the directors of the field school. Dr. Grossman and Dr. Paulette are from my undergraduate institution of North Carolina State University (Go Pack!). I owe my love of anthropology and drive for field excavation to these two. Simultaneously, Dr. McCarthy and Dr. Graham (assistant directors of MVAP and primary directors of the Prastio Mesorotsos Archaeological Expedition) are a wealth of information and kindness. What I consider borrowed here is their time, expertise, and mentorship. In addition to the sheer number of credit hours I dedicated to Dr. Grossman and Dr. Paulette, they have always been the source of advice regarding steps towards my professional career. This summer, I was watching how they ran the field school more than last. Not only did this expose me to the process of excavations, but I also listened to the methodological reasons behind specific decisions in the field. MVAP 2019 was my first archaeological field school experience, and I was more interested in excavation and hitting the beach. This year, I found it more interesting to understand more about the archaeology of the site we are excavating and history of the island, specifically in archaeological context to the site. Additionally, they directed me towards the best resources for my thesis research. They helped us get permission to go to the CAARI library, and I gathered a wealth of information. Starting my master’s thesis has been infinitely helped because of the archaeological knowledge I was gaining from them. I consider this borrowed because I will always have the intention to return the favor by learning and using what they taught me in my future as an archaeologist.

Something Blue

Now let’s not forget . . . the site is located on Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean. Aside from the work that went into the archaeological aspect of this trip, I was fully intending on enjoying the island while I could. Trips to the beach were a must. Many times, I would end up doing my work in settings near the water for the pure relaxation. Fridays were field trip days and, on top of seeing the sites around the island and learning about their significance, there was always a beach stop before heading home. Being reacquainted with the clear, blue gradient waters of the Mediterranean was some of my favorite moments from the trip. I swam to different parts of the beaches than last time, even adventuring into the water-carved caves of Aphrodite’s Rock. I felt like I could breathe clearer than above water while swimming. In conjunction with the blue of the sea, there was the clear blue of the sky. There were a few days of overcast, but the blue sky was present for most of the day, creating an almost ‘light’ feeling. The weather on the island throughout this summer, specifically in the area of Polis Crysochous, was ideal for both fieldwork and leisure.

My summer was filled with new and old experiences in the beloved location of Polis Crysochous, Cyprus. After a COVID-19 break of 2 summer excavations, I was finally able to witness excavation continuity. Seeing the opening of the trenches was very exciting, and the closing of the trenches just as heartbreaking. I was also researching for my thesis, so I was gaining more knowledge about the island’s pre-history, culture, and social dynamics throughout the years. Thus, while I was prepared for there to be new experiences, and expected there to be, I would never have predicted what type. While not in a nuptial setting, I believe this popular saying was appropriate when describing the moving parts of the summer and the many memories made.

Alice Kligerman is a second-year master’s student at Florida State University. She received her B.A. in Anthropology in 2018 from North Carolina State University. Currently, she is working on her master’s thesis to defend in the spring of 2023. Her interests lie in the prehistory of Cyprus (7000 BC – ~2500 BC, specifically). She is interested in emergent complex societies and the archaeological evidence of increased social differentiation.

Instagram: @alvkh

Email: ak21y@fsu.edu

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