Today started the last week of work for most of the PKAP staff. It is very different around here with the IUP undergraduates gone. Most of the senior staff are leaving Thursday. We are currently down to 10 people and even then some of the staff are often out doing other things, for example two of our graduate students are spending two days in Nicosia doing research at the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI). I can tell that people are really starting to feel the pressure of getting everything done on time since tempers seem shorter and sarcastic comments are much more common – so basically everyone is starting to act the way I normally act. Some of it is understandable, we are desperately trying to get everything ready for leaving, but still have pottery to illustrate, artifacts to catalogue, unit bags to crate up and inventory, a final report to write, and a public presentation for the CAARI Summer Workshop to create.
Anyway some goods to relate: Item 1) Michael Brown was able to convince the British base to have one of their helicopters fly over our site with one of our digital cameras and take lots of pictures. I have to admit that the pictures came out quite well and we owe a big thanks to the British base for doing this and to Michael Brown for being able to talk them into it
2) A group from the Limassol branch of the Cyprus U3A. (University of the Third Age).came down to visit our site today. It was very unusual for me to stand out in the middle of our survey area and explain our techniques to them. I was very concerned that it would be terribly boring – no architecture and lots of numbers, but they seemed to enjoy it. They were a great group and asked lots of good questions. It was a very pleasurable two hours.
RSM
Ancient History Ramblings 