UQ Archaeologists spent time in Turkey in June and July attending excavations at a number of important sites.
Archaeology lecturer Dr Andy Fairbairn led a field and research team at Kaman Kalehoyuk, home of the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology, to investigate Bronze and Iron Age agriculture in the site and its environments.
The research team included PhD candidate Rohan Fenwick, who is investigating Ottoman agriculture at the site, recent Honours graduate and Research Assistant Kirsten Bradley and three recent graduates who are planning to work on Honours projects in 2010.
Work at all sites was focused on the collection and processing of soil samples for the seeds, fruits and wood charcoals that allow us to investigate ancient agriculture and anthropogenic landscape impacts.
Fieldwork provides essential training in excavation and environmental archaeology methods to build on the experience of students in the
archaeology labs and TARDIS site at UQ. The projects were also the focus of intense cross-cultural interaction, including karaoke singing and daily trilingual research seminars.
The students received highly favourable comments on their skills, professionalism and personal qualities from the various excavation directors, securing future fieldwork opportunities for UQ students and opening further research opportunities.
For more information about Archaeology at UQ:
UQ Archaeologists getting down and dirty at the
Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology.
(LtoR) Kirsten Bradley, Dr Andy Fairbairn, Reiner Mantei,
Xavier Carah, Rohan Fenwick & Nathan Wright