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CURRENT ARCHAEOLOGY ISSUE 66 A TEMPLE OF SIN IN ANATOLIA
With the new term, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism determined Turkey’s tourism target bar with a new understanding and raised it considerably. Very important meetings and principles were determined for this target in a short time, almost all important actors of the tourism sector were discussed and ideas were exchanged. When we look back during this period, we see that no institution, scientist, university or archaeology-related actors were consulted. “What do you think, how can we raise the bar of archaeology, how can we provide more funds and support, expand excavations and restorations, organize new museums, exhibitions, conferences, open laboratories, reduce our dependence on foreign countries?” was not discussed. The only topic discussed seemed to be “The budget for excavations was a bit high last year, let’s cut it a bit this year.” In fact, archaeologists had already talked among themselves saying “We are doing our own thing, there is no need to push it any further”… Is excavating really enough for the world of archaeology?
Archaeology does not consist of a single whole, therefore it is important to underline that it is important to redefine archaeology in the 21st century. Archaeology is no longer the archaeology of old. The world is changing and science is constantly advancing. Seeing archaeology as just digging in the ground is now a century old idea. How much should we integrate archaeology and science? How many institutes have been established for science to become more important than excavations? How many international projects have been partnered with? There are still dozens of excavations that do not see photography as a science and do not have archives. Doesn't it bother you at all that there are museums that have not yet transitioned to the digital age, that do not have photo archives, and excavations and universities that have no R&D or laboratories? The team carrying out the project that received ERC support from Turkey says that nearly a thousand projects in Europe are given ERC support every year, while less than 20 projects from Turkey have received this support in the last 5 years. In other words, the problem is in the production of science... "What do we produce? How do we do science?" Shouldn't we ask ourselves? Shouldn't the ministry support or an archaeology world that will push the ministry to raise this bar? Who should we put the needle to, and who should we put the needle to? Unless radical transformations occur in the archaeology world and thousands of talented archaeologists are brought into the archaeology world, it seems unlikely that this process will change.
What kind of future awaits archaeology?
In the new era we are in, many institutions in Turkey are undergoing a change and transformation. Although the interest of the first Minister of Culture and Tourism of the new era in archaeology is important, it can be clearly seen that the Ministry gives importance to tourism. This, of course, also coincides with the economic expectations of the country. However, there is not much voice to the idea of "How should archaeology position itself in this new system and how should it establish a new future for itself?"
Treasure hunting is still a dominant practice in the country, and treasure hunters can even establish associations and provide training. Instead of preventing such formations, regulations and turning a blind eye to them pave the way for this problem. It is a fact that we only applaud the police aspect of the incident, with thousands of artifacts recently being seized. While struggling between competing in UNESCO lists on the one hand and bringing in qualified tourists on the other, whose problem should it be to be upset about the blatant destruction of the world's most important archaeological geography? The saying "Unless the honest are as brave as the dishonest..." should perhaps be valid in the world of archaeology. Unless archaeologists are as brave as the treasure hunters, it seems that this problem will not be solved in the short term.
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