Summer Spotlight: Gen Flynn

"This summer, I traveled to the Lycian region of Turkey along with Kristin Otto, a rising senior at DePauw, and Professor Foss, a classics professor, in order to gain a better understanding of the landscape, history, and peoples of ancient Lycia. The goal of this project was to research the ways in which the peoples of this area utilized the unique topography of the region to build successful settlements and to understand the relationships between the various peoples in this area. To accomplish this, we visited approximately 2-3 archaeological sites daily and focused our attention on a number of features, including the following: use of language(s), burial practices, ancient road and cistern structures, archaeological preservation techniques, and construction techniques. I greatly enjoyed participating in this study because it provided me with a richer understanding of the ancient Mediterranean through the eyes of the ancients. It also allowed me to travel Turkey and explore an unfamiliar culture and religion. This trip helped me to better grasp the methods employed by archaeological researchers and taught me to become more observant to the features of archaeological sites. Overall, this trip proved to be a unique educational experience and greatly improved my understanding of the ancient world."