Gamarjobut, perhaps for the last time from Georgia. As my title translates to 'Where are you going?' I feel that I have been asking myself this question a lot lately. This summer's field work in Georgia closes a chapter of my life that I don't plan to forget. I have met so many great people and have had the opportunity to share memories and conversations with great minds around the globe. The Dmanisi team is more than a group of people in the same field working together. It may start that way but after these last two years, I feel like I am part of the family that they have here. A family that is willing to talk out their obvious differences, put their heads together and figure out problems, and share tons of laughs over a few glasses of beer, or chacha. Of all of these, it is the latter that I will miss the most. It is so refreshing to be in the field with out tv or internet (well there was some this year) and have so much time on your hands to play games and get to know everyone.
Anyways, as the field season rolls on for everyone else, I made my departure from Dmanisi yesterday. I took the museum bus with the field school students and we first went to the oldest domed church in Georgia, Jvari Monastery, which was built in the 6th century. We then when to the town below, Mtskheta, which used to be the capital of Georgia, until it moved to Tbilisi in the 10th or 11th century. It was a beautiful area in the mountains and it was actually nice and cool, instead of 100 degrees. We ate at a lobio (bean) restaurant on our way out, and had a spread of food in the amount of which I had never seen before. Plates of food were stacked on other plates of food and even more food was coming out. I ate to capacity, or perhaps a little over my capacity as I was rendered immobile for much of the afternoon. It was worth it. Kebabis, khachapuri, khinkhali, sulguni, lobio, and ludi were all present as as much as I could ask for during my last meal with everyone.
Rewinding a bit to last week's festivities. We had a welcome arrival from Spain during the week, and he brought a lot of stories and fun that was a continuation from last year. I have not laughed that hard at stories for a long time as Mark and Jordi, both Spanish, spoke of their previous years at Dmanisi, including many stories about other foreigners drinking too much to the delight of all of the Georgians, and everyone else who got to watch the events transpire. Then on Thursday, we said goodbye to Jordi, and there is no proper send off than a few glasses of chacha, and many a 'Goumarjos!' I stayed up until 4 chatting until we figured out that it was 4, since we apparently lost all concept of time, and had a rough next day. Luckily, I just got to stay at camp and enter bone data into my computer, but the electricity went out so I barely got started. Even luckier for me, I could nap off my bakhmelia before dinner. It was a good night overall. On Friday night was the party of the year, at least until the end of the field school, as it was August 5th and Dato's birthday. I tried to have a better night of it than last year, which ended poorly for me but probably well for everyone else as they could laugh at my expense. Anyways, I won't get into last year because really, why dwell on the past? And I don't really want to tell that story to everyone :) SO, this year. Started off pretty well. Adam, Zach, and I had a pretty funny conversation before dinner speaking on many different topics. Some new words were invented, to which hilarity ensued. Again, I won't elaborate but will chuckle to myself as I write :) Khachapuri was served this year, which I don't think we had last year, and the main event, shashlik, or mtsvadi, soon followed. Shasklik is salted pork that is skewered and cooked over wood coals and water is thrown on the coals to make lots of smoke to give it a good smoky flavor. the first few pieces I had were dry and I was panicking, thinking that I missed THIS for a whole year. Luckily, the following batches were deliciously moist and heavenly. Mmmmmmm. I may have to eat some tonight somewhere. The rest of Dato's party went pretty well, considering Zach and I didn't embarrass ourselves in front ot Dato again, or at least get an eye roll or an awkward handshake. The night ended with some stargazing and many shooting stars, as this weekend was the beginning of a meteor shower. Many great stories, a conversation in Spanish with Mark, some cigarette smoking (numbers 4, 5, and 6 in my life), and learning more Georgian curse words filled the space in between.
As for the work in the field, everything seems to be moving accordingly. No hominin bones yet, but there are two weeks left and many missing skeletal elements. Many cool animal bones have come out that I got to look at, which is exciting, including a fox mandible (which may be the first at Dmanisi), a bear mandible, quite a few pelvises, and a huge rhino humerus that had the deltoid tuberosity gnawed off of it. In the same square as the rhino and the gnawed pelvises, Martha found some hyena teeth in the sediment collected from there, so we may have a small area of M5 that was a hyena den. Pretty cool stuff. Lots of bones again this year, and not enough time to see them all.
Now I am back in Tbilisi and fly out on Wednesday at 4AM, with Mark also on that flight, on his way to Spain. That will help kill some of the time at the airport. I plan to spend the next few days looking for things to buy, or just walking around. It is nice and cool in Tbilisi again today, which is nice.
Yesterday when Julia and I caught a taxi back to the apartment, it was raining as it had been almost all day. I said,"I can't believe it's raining in Tbilisi," as it has only 3 times over the last two years I've been here. To this Julia responds, "It's because Georgia is crying because it will miss you so much." I hope that's the truth because I know how much I will miss this country, the people, the language, and the new family that I feel like I am a part of.
I can not express how much I hope this blog continues in the future, but for now I must say Nakhvamdis and leave you with a pleasant goodnight saying.
ტკბილი ძილი და კეთილი ანგელოზები (T'kbili dzili da ketili angelozebi)
Anyways, as the field season rolls on for everyone else, I made my departure from Dmanisi yesterday. I took the museum bus with the field school students and we first went to the oldest domed church in Georgia, Jvari Monastery, which was built in the 6th century. We then when to the town below, Mtskheta, which used to be the capital of Georgia, until it moved to Tbilisi in the 10th or 11th century. It was a beautiful area in the mountains and it was actually nice and cool, instead of 100 degrees. We ate at a lobio (bean) restaurant on our way out, and had a spread of food in the amount of which I had never seen before. Plates of food were stacked on other plates of food and even more food was coming out. I ate to capacity, or perhaps a little over my capacity as I was rendered immobile for much of the afternoon. It was worth it. Kebabis, khachapuri, khinkhali, sulguni, lobio, and ludi were all present as as much as I could ask for during my last meal with everyone.
Rewinding a bit to last week's festivities. We had a welcome arrival from Spain during the week, and he brought a lot of stories and fun that was a continuation from last year. I have not laughed that hard at stories for a long time as Mark and Jordi, both Spanish, spoke of their previous years at Dmanisi, including many stories about other foreigners drinking too much to the delight of all of the Georgians, and everyone else who got to watch the events transpire. Then on Thursday, we said goodbye to Jordi, and there is no proper send off than a few glasses of chacha, and many a 'Goumarjos!' I stayed up until 4 chatting until we figured out that it was 4, since we apparently lost all concept of time, and had a rough next day. Luckily, I just got to stay at camp and enter bone data into my computer, but the electricity went out so I barely got started. Even luckier for me, I could nap off my bakhmelia before dinner. It was a good night overall. On Friday night was the party of the year, at least until the end of the field school, as it was August 5th and Dato's birthday. I tried to have a better night of it than last year, which ended poorly for me but probably well for everyone else as they could laugh at my expense. Anyways, I won't get into last year because really, why dwell on the past? And I don't really want to tell that story to everyone :) SO, this year. Started off pretty well. Adam, Zach, and I had a pretty funny conversation before dinner speaking on many different topics. Some new words were invented, to which hilarity ensued. Again, I won't elaborate but will chuckle to myself as I write :) Khachapuri was served this year, which I don't think we had last year, and the main event, shashlik, or mtsvadi, soon followed. Shasklik is salted pork that is skewered and cooked over wood coals and water is thrown on the coals to make lots of smoke to give it a good smoky flavor. the first few pieces I had were dry and I was panicking, thinking that I missed THIS for a whole year. Luckily, the following batches were deliciously moist and heavenly. Mmmmmmm. I may have to eat some tonight somewhere. The rest of Dato's party went pretty well, considering Zach and I didn't embarrass ourselves in front ot Dato again, or at least get an eye roll or an awkward handshake. The night ended with some stargazing and many shooting stars, as this weekend was the beginning of a meteor shower. Many great stories, a conversation in Spanish with Mark, some cigarette smoking (numbers 4, 5, and 6 in my life), and learning more Georgian curse words filled the space in between.
As for the work in the field, everything seems to be moving accordingly. No hominin bones yet, but there are two weeks left and many missing skeletal elements. Many cool animal bones have come out that I got to look at, which is exciting, including a fox mandible (which may be the first at Dmanisi), a bear mandible, quite a few pelvises, and a huge rhino humerus that had the deltoid tuberosity gnawed off of it. In the same square as the rhino and the gnawed pelvises, Martha found some hyena teeth in the sediment collected from there, so we may have a small area of M5 that was a hyena den. Pretty cool stuff. Lots of bones again this year, and not enough time to see them all.
Now I am back in Tbilisi and fly out on Wednesday at 4AM, with Mark also on that flight, on his way to Spain. That will help kill some of the time at the airport. I plan to spend the next few days looking for things to buy, or just walking around. It is nice and cool in Tbilisi again today, which is nice.
Yesterday when Julia and I caught a taxi back to the apartment, it was raining as it had been almost all day. I said,"I can't believe it's raining in Tbilisi," as it has only 3 times over the last two years I've been here. To this Julia responds, "It's because Georgia is crying because it will miss you so much." I hope that's the truth because I know how much I will miss this country, the people, the language, and the new family that I feel like I am a part of.
I can not express how much I hope this blog continues in the future, but for now I must say Nakhvamdis and leave you with a pleasant goodnight saying.
ტკბილი ძილი და კეთილი ანგელოზები (T'kbili dzili da ketili angelozebi)
"Sweet dreams and kind angels" (Madlobt Sopo!)
Thanks again for following my blog and I will post pictures when I get back to the States. The question I address at the beginning is far from being answered so stay tuned for more adventures, hopefully some that will contain a Leopard sighting.
Nakhvamdis.
Reed
