The first day we went to the site, we went later than normal because workmen were still taking out the backfill (at the end of the season, they have to put plastic over what's been excavated and then put all the soil back on top of the tarp). So we helped them for just an hour or two. But it was still pretty exhausting, breaking the ground with a pick axe and shoveling the dirt and then using a trowel and dustpan to scrape the smaller, looser dirt so as not to damage the tarp and the finds underneath. We all came back exhausted and dirty. Then most of us went to the beach, either in Methoni (where I went) or Gialova (a town a few km north of here). Methoni was nice - calm beaches, and with a Venetian castle/fortress on one side. Unfortunately, I did not have time to go see the castle, but I plan on going back sometime to see it. We came back and had class at 5 or 6, and then dinner at 7:30. Dinner is a four course meal every night, and it can be pretty overwhelming. After dinner, many of us went down the plateia and just sat at a cafe and talked, which has now become part of our daily routine.
Anyway, the next day (Tuesday) we started our normal day. This meant a wake up call at 5:45, getting dressed quickly and then going down and scarfing down breakfast before leaving for the site at 6:30 AM. We get to the site around 7 AM. That day, we were still working on backfill - a lot of it. At some point, when I couldn't find a place where a trowel would be useful, I decided to take a pickaxe and start working on the ground that nobody had worked on yet (it still had grass on it). This was a mistake, because I got stuck with that difficult and exhausting work for the rest of the day. It was ok though, because I felt productive and it was great to get that much exercise. I am pretty sure nobody I know back home or at school would believe how forceful I could get with the pick axe or the hoe or even the hand pick, just whacking away at dirt. Of course, I felt the effects of that the next day when I woke up aching all over. Anyway, that day was by far the most exhausting, and I was absolutely covered in dirt by the end of the day (as I am every day, but it was particularly bad that day) - but the one good thing is that it was cloudy that day, and it even rained a little bit. So most of us, during our free time (from 2-5 PM) just stayed in Pylos, did some napping and laundry. Laundry is a bitch here; you have to do it by hand in the sink (no bathtub) and well, our clothes get really really dirty, so it usually takes quite a while to clean just one piece of clothing. And socks are the worst.
Yesterday was a bit more exciting, but awfully slow. First, we took the tarp off the already excavated parts, which was pretty exciting - we finally got to see what we're working on. Then, we had to clean the trenches for photographs, and man, that is a pain in the ass - but I have to say, removing dirt off of the rocks that used to be a 3000 year old house is pretty darn nifty. After that was done, we started opening up a new trench, which once again meant using a pick axe, shovel, then trowel and dustpan. Usually, we would all stand back while someone went at it with a pick axe, and then we would all pounce on the dirt with hand picks to break apart the dirt and make sure there weren't any significant pottery finds. It was a pretty funny sight as we all moved in on a mound of dirt. Anyway, we finally got the first level off, and even hit a few more large rocks which I just can't wait to finally uncover. I was also designated as the Munseller, which means that at the end of the day, I try to match the color of soil samples from the trench with colors designated on the Munsell chart. It's a bit harder than I thought it would be, but it's kinda cool at the same time. Anyway, after digging yesterday, a bunch of us went to the beach in Gialova. It was a lovely beach, but the weather was a bit windy and so the water was kind of cold, but not bad at all. On the way back, there was a van that had seats for 12 people at the most, and we somehow fit nineteen people in there. It pretty much looked like a clown car.
Now what sucks is that yesterday, I woke up with a sore throat. I thought to myself, you have got to be kidding me, I am NOT getting sick. It got a little better, and at the dig I felt kind of ok. But then, after about three or four hours, I started to feel dizzy and lightheaded, despite the fact that i had already drank a liter of water, and it wasn't even that hot out. But as I was working, I started to realize...hey, everything looks kind of gray. I'm seeing more gray than light. This can't be good. Then I got super nauseous and realized I was about to pass out, so I just threw down my gloves and trowel and went and sat under a tree. Luckily I had told my trench supervisor that I thought I might be sick, so she didn't think I was just storming off for some unexplained reason. I took off my hat and shoes and rested for 10 minutes or so, and then when I went back to the trench it was time for a lunch break, so I got another half hour of rest. I felt alright for the rest of the dig until 2, but about as soon as the dig was over, I started to feel a head cold coming on. My nose was running like a faucet and my head felt all pressure-y. Still, I went swimming in Gialova and actually felt fine when I was in the water. But lying on the beach I kinda felt like crap. When we came back, I decided to rest a bit instead of going to class (I don't have to go to class because I'm not doing this for credit, but I figure I'm paying for it so I might as well go). I did wind up going to class - came in late - but felt like crap the entire time. I went to dinner, and afterwards I went to the plateia although I probably shouldn't have. I felt a fever coming on and decided to peace out around 10:30. I was entering the miserable stage of my cold but just hoped and prayed it'd be gone by morning (today). Nope. Not the case. I felt even worse today. Although my throat doesn't hurt and my nose isn't as runny (more stuffy than runny), I couldn't deny that I was pretty sick. However, the policy here is that you can't skip a day of the dig due to sickness unless you agree to have a doctor come see you, which means paying 50 euros. I didn't think I was sick enough to have a doctor see me, plus I don't want to pay 50 euros, but at the same time I didn't think it'd be wise to dig - I'm a big believer that rest is one of the best things to recover from a cold. But I really, really didn't want to miss out on a day. I talked to the director of the program, and he just told me to stay here and rest. I seriously wanted to cry because I was so bummed. I was really hoping he'd say, "Well, come along and just do some of the lighter work" or something. But I guess it makes sense that he'd rather have me here, recovering my strength, than out in the field possibly getting worse. So I've spent this morning sleeping in bed, and every time I wake up and feel like crap, I keep thinking to myself, "Ok, that was a good call on his part, I definitely could not dig today." But it still kind of sucks. I mean, I don't get that much time in the field and to have to spend one day in the hotel (I don't exactly feel like going into town either) feels so...useless. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be well enough to go back and dig and contribute something.
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