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THRU. 10/12/2000

Ankara

We started the day at the American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT) for an interview with Dr. Toni Cross.  She's been in Turkey for 25 years, and has become a significant focal point for Americans working in archaeology in Turkey, a sort of archaeological salon of the highest order.  She regaled us with tales of her field work, and her passion and love of the study of the past.  Her ability to connect with her chosen field on both a scientific level and an emotional level were made clear as she described a fingerprint she found embedded in an ancient clay pot. 

She poses for our camera here flanked by two of her Turkish staff, Cennet (left) and  Burcak

We then finished up our interviewing and our expedition in Turkey with an interview with Dr. Nimet Ozguc, who spent ten years digging at the Samsat site before it was submerged under the waters of the Euphrates by the Ataturk dam in 1989.  She told us that her heart weeps when she thinks about it, and that "hurry is the enemy of archaeology."  Samsat was significant for its uninterrupted settlement spanning more than 5 millenia, and while much of Samsat was never explored, and is now out of reach, there were many significant finds from her ten years at Samsat, including the meaning of the omega symbol.

We said our thank yous, and headed back to the hotel to pack, and prepare for the journey home, and the next step - writing and editing all our work into shows for the History Channel.