The Curtain Closes

Dear readers,
I write to you now right before dinner. We have completed our final day of work here in France. After hours and hours of moving dirt, clay, mud, and rock, I can look back at my experience here fondly, even though there were clear moments of frustration.
From moving buckets of dirt off the wall at the top of the theater, to moving clay out from the bedrock, I enjoyed the routine and comradery at this dig. The day to day work gave me a sense of purpose and I was overjoyed any time that I found something. The purpose of this blog is to point out two key moments that have occurred in the last few days.
Yesterday, we had a fabulous barbecue in the backyard of the house. We had burgers, sausages (the most fantastic food of the night), pasta, and much more. What made this meal truly special was that we invited many people from the community to join us. The food was delicious, and the company was excellent as well. For example, the priest from the local Catholic church visited us and told us about his life and his experiences as a priest. Many toasts were given, and laughs were not in short supply. Everyone left full and happy.
The most recent development at this dig has been the finding of a pot at the top of the theater. Late this Friday, Thomas, Hannah, Professor Schowalter, and I found an almost complete pot near the wall. We were digging, and our main job was to simply move away dirt until we had nice, clean bedrock. Right after lunch, we were seeking to remove a root from top of the bedrock. Thomas, a French student, used a small pickaxe to try to remove the root. Soon after, the appearance of a circle of pottery was manifested. The pottery was broken, but it was still pieced together almost completely, or at least, far more completely than the rest of the pottery that we had found. Normally, the pottery had been small fragments and nothing more. This was different, there were large pieces and the shape of the pot was still intact. We had to work a little late, but the pot pieces were finally taken out. Even though our efforts to take it out prevented the pieces from all staying together, the bottom of the pot was intact and was beautiful to behold. Even though this was the final day of digging for the American students, the pot was a symbol of perseverance and hope for a fruitful next season of digging.
As I look back, I see this trip to France filled with hard, yet rewarding work and plenty of moments to enjoy comradery. The meals here were quite memorable and I will never forget them. Truly, the greatest treasure is warm memories and my heart is full of golden experiences as I prepare to return to the United States. But first, we enjoy the weekend! Thank you for reading.
Sincerely,

James Durdan

Change and Stasis

This season at Mandeure is drawing to a close, and I am reminded of the ephemerality of my stay here and of being itself at every turn. I have made some great friends in my time in France, and I trust I will see them again, but it is a bit surreal to think that I may never work at this particular site again; three weeks are nothing, a passing sigh next to the totality of life, but I feel as if a part of me will remain here. A few days ago, we visited a warehouse where features from the theatre at Mandeure as well as the nearby temple and necropolis are kept–parts of columns, statues, and a frieze– and the aura of these artifacts in this context is worth examining. The grandeur that was Rome lies in fragments on pallets in a warehouse in an unmarked building in rural France. Is our culture destined for the same fate? It seems inevitable. Last weekend, several Carthage students on this trip visited Paris. Paris is a living city, and the status of a living city is contingent upon change. It has its constants–elements of its classical roots will always remain–but such tradition meets modernism and post-modernism constantly, at times gracefully, at times jarringly. It can be said that Rome didn’t truly “fall,” but instead gradually transitioned into something else, and effectively laid the foundation for the next culture; a stage in evolution, rather than a dead end. Regardless, the “Rome” in the mind of the average person is a relic, a dusty ruin from ages past. Is this idea of Rome less valid than the mystic, immaterial “spirit” of Rome that has been carried on since its “fall”? The Romans are long dead, is their say on the matter of any importance?

Our culture, our “world,” seems threatened on all fronts by a collapse. The Amazon is burning, non-western powers are finding burgeoning fiscal strength, and unrest and disquiet grow constantly. Is our way of life sustainable? Even if the ultimate death knell is from a different cause, are we consigned to the same fate as the Roman Empire, the Achaemenid Empire, and all empires from ages past? Will our churches someday have a status akin to the Mandeure theatres of the world? The short answer is yes. Inevitably, yes. No structure is built to last forever, nor is any system of government, nor is any nation. This may seem grim, but it should not be a reason to consign ourselves to nihilism. As said earlier, Paris is alive because it is changing. Change is the essence of life. The theatre of Mandeure is alive, and the excavations here, by gleaning knowledge from it, keep it alive and save it from being lost forever in the titanic, cyclopean pages that constitute the records of the earth. This Sunday, a mass will be held here, worshipping a different god than Mars Ultor, which the Romans here worshipped, just as they displaced the unnamed Gallic deity that was praised here long before. The rites this Sunday, if observed by Romans, would undoubtedly seem alien, as would the worshippers’ modes of dress and transportation; yet, this sanctuary has a religious purpose again. The god changed through the millennia, yet that very thing helps keep the elusive spirit of this holy place alive. Amid sessions of hacking with a pickaxe through layers of sediment, it is sometimes joked that archaeology is mostly destruction. So is sculpting from marble; so is what fuels the stars; so is change itself. This is the essence of what it means to be alive.

Today was my second-last day of digging at Mandeure. I have become intimately acquainted with this place, and the thought of returning to America seems distant and unreal. I am sure, however, that decades from now, this will be another of many distant memories, albeit a fond and cherished one. Life must go on, and ends bring beginnings. This is the end of my undergraduate career, and I eagerly anticipate what is to come next. I could not hope for a better finale to the last four years than my experiences here. Today, I dug on the southern façade, and I was thrilled to see that some of the bricks were composed of fossiliferous rocks. I believe these fossils are remains of Baculites, a genus of cephalopods with conical shells that lived in seas all over the world in the late Cretaceous, ending 65 million years ago. This number may seem trivial, but I ask the reader to contemplate what a vast expanse of time that really is; these remains were in this stone for well over ten thousand times as long as it has been since the pyramids were built. They were there when humans first developed writing, first painted on a cave wall; when the first human ancestors stood upright, when the first mammals with thumbs used these appendages to climb trees. This unfathomable expanse of time, when fully appreciated, evokes the same sense of grandeur as the vastness of a night sky with millions of stars. Eons later, they find themselves in a brick in a theatre of a culture that is ancestral to our own. Two thousand years is less than a hiccup as far as geological time is concerned, but it is still well beyond what our minds, programmed to run for seventy or eighty years, can really fathom. The juxtaposition of these gulfs of ages motivated me to write this; hopefully, with the limitations of my skills and the limitations of language itself, I conveyed a little bit of the wonder I felt. Everything we see might, in the scheme of things, be passing in the wind, but what a show it is! However brief and ephemeral, I am honored to have spent a moment with all of this–with Mandeure.

Thank you,

Andrew Goebel

Here is to Hoping

Salvete Omnes,

I guess this is goodbye. Like most things, the time spent in Mandeure has passed quickly; nevertheless, the memories made within that time are infinite. The minutes and hours which encumpass my experience have collesced to form a beautiful painting- one that contains friends, laughter, and hidden treasures. I long for a way to reverse time, to repaint the image that I now hold dear to my heart, but that is impossible. Instead, I must move forward and hope that someday I will be able to add to the artwork and make it even more beautiful.

Being able to return to Mandeure this year and oversee other students has been an incredible experience. Unlike prior years, I was entrusted with more information and tasks concerning the site, which only further enhanced my experience as a whole. In addition to knowing the site, I also had the fortune to know the people. People who were once acquiantances have now become dear friends of mine. I am grateful for many things, but being allowed the opportunity to return to Mandeure this year is ranked highly.

After posting on this forum for three consecutive years, it is surreal to think that I may never again write a letter to you. This year will mark my Senior year at Carthage College and, depending on what my future holds, I may not be able to return to this site next season. Though it is in itself a bittersweet thought, the friends that I have made whilst excavating in France will not soon be lost. I truly believe in my heart that I will come back here one day and visit with the family that I have gained over these last two years.

 

Here is to hoping,

Brooke Marie Weltch

Stone Storage and Significance

Bon jour!

This morning we woke up to impending rain. Luckily, it held off for the majority of our morning in the field, so we were able to get some work done. I continued working in the pulpitum in the area in front of the skene. I have been lowering the level to even it out with the surrounding layers. This morning I found many roof tiles, small ceramic pieces, and a singular bone.

The rain really hit before the afternoon session, so we went to check out the warehouse, or the lapidorium, where there were many large pieces of stones from buildings and statues from both the theatre and the castrum, or the roman camp.

It was really cool to walk in and see the rows of giant stones, most of which were intricately carved. We saw blocks, columns, caps, a frieze, capitals in the corinthian style, gravestones, and stones for a caldarium for baths. We could see different artists’ work on what was likely the same building, yet very different qualities of work. Another interesting thing was that there were pieces from the temple that has not yet been professionally excavated that were found in the castrum. This collection has allowed them to analyze the sizes and the designs to be able to reconstruct the size of the surrounding structures that will be found once that area is explored.

I’m really glad I have gotten to be a part of the collection of this piece of history and I cannot wait to find out what else there is to discover at this site.

Merci,

Alissa Marek-Spartz

The Leaning Wall of Mandeure

After spending the weekend in Paris, I was ready to be getting back to digging. I was also missing the “small town” atmosphere that Mandeure offers, versus the chaotic, tourist centered way of the big city of Paris. It is way more relaxed and enjoyable in Mandeure.

I was moved from working on the orchestra to working with some different students on an area  west of the back wall of the theatre. The wall had collapsed and had buried some kind of pit. Currently we are uncovering stones. But more interestingly, we have found so many bones, pieces of pottery, and many nails as well. We have also found some artifacts that we don’t know exactly what they are. We found one thing that we think may be a spring and also 2 halves of a button.

The wall is leading to the west so as we are cleaning off the dirt and surrounding stones, we must be very careful as the wall could fall at anytime. Luckily, we have been safe so far  Also, the area we have been working is on a slope so we have to watch our footing as we work and move buckets to dirt. It was difficult as it began raining because the mud was getting very slippery.

The artifacts we have found remind me a lot of the other things we have read about before coming on the trip. Things like bone pits and garbage pits are becoming more and more common.

I am looking forward to uncovering the rest of the wall and warmer weather the rest of the week!

Hannah Pearson

 

Another day of finding treasures

Today was a good day at work. All the work that was done was très bien. (Very good) Currently, I am working on the South Wall of the theater and we have found quartz and marble. Jonah has found 2 nails and some pottery. Also on this lovely day the president of  Carthage and his wife came to visit and we showed him around the theater. Each Carthage student explained what was going on and what they did to help dig the site.  We are doing a fantastic job and are learning so much about Roman history and Eastern region of France. Mandeure is such an amazing village and it is such a privilege to be working here with such an amazing team of French students and Carthage students.  May your weekend be filled with love and joy.  

Au revior

Shannon

 

Coming together

Hello,

We are over halfway through our time here and France and I could fill pages will all the awesome times I’ve had and people I’ve met.

Everything feels so familiar and yet it’s still so new. I learn new facts, words, and how to see through new perspectives everyday. I could not have asked for better people to go in this journey with and they alone would make the journey worth it. Yet we all have our schedules down and it feels more comfortable than any temporary house should be.

It rained on and off all day so it was hard to finish the drawings I had been told to help with, but it also allowed me time to visit the other cites and see all our progress. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the roof cover and half column found at the top of the hill. Meanwhile the orchestra Pitt had another round of photos taken. We had most of the afternoon off due to rain, and we all got to chat and hang out. Most notably I got a lesson in French, did some journaling, and ate an amazing dinner. I can’t wait for each new experience everyday, yet I don’t want it to end.

until next time

Au revoir

Erin Albert

Music of Mandeure

We have just hit the halfway point of our trip and time is moving by quickly.  Today was exciting to say the least! Dianne found a coin bearing the image of Antoninus Pious during his fourth consulship around 146 to 161 C.E.  Andrew uncovered a strange bone, Brooke found a large nail, and I discovered a fragmented ceramic pot of some sort.  Though the sun was blazing, we had frequent visits from curious onlookers and touring groups interested in our work and progress.  I took our work time as a chance to sharpen my French vocabulary and pronunciation with two of our French colleagues, Clothilde and Jade.  As we carefully uncovered the remains of the “skene,” the area where the Romans placed props and backdrops during ritualistic functions, we had the opportunity to chat about French culture.  I adore music, so Clothilde and Jade introduced me to French music from the 1940s.  These, they insisted, were classic songs that every French person knows of.  The foremost artist they introduced me to was Edythe Pyaf, whose sonorous voice blew me away as she wove songs of life and love.  Though clearly distinct from the songs I was used to in the United States, these songs had a similar tone and rhythm to those I knew from home.  It was amazing to see and hear how similar and different our cultures were at the same time.  I look forward to learning more in the coming week!

Hasta Mañana Monsieur

Bonjour à tous!

It has been a little over a week since we have begun excavations in Mandeure. I arrived here with two goals in mind: learn and experience. I wanted to learn about subjects which I would have otherwise never been exposed to, by learning on the job and also from the people I meet. And I wanted to experience, by living differently, understanding the perspectives of others, and going on adventures. So far I have been accomplishing these goals. Through the excavations I have been taught various things; I have learned technique, history, language, culture, and archeology/ancient architecture. I have been taught how to dig properly and more effectively, how to identify different types of architectural blocks, the history of the amphitheater, relevant vocabulary (in both French and English), and French music. A particular aspect I have been enjoying so far is the two-way learning which has occurred, the French students want to improve their English and I want to improve my French so we explain words and phrases to one another and also help each other pronounce new words. Then, we speak about the differences between our cultures and countries.

A major way in which the bonds have been built has been at meal times and working at the site. A simple “please pass the water” or “hand me the shovel” can lead to a camaraderie which leads into unique and fulfilling conversations among the French students and the American students. During these conversations you learn about history, travel, language, philosophy, and the ideas of others. It is through these conversations and interactions with one another that we are also able to work more effectively on the field, we listen, want to learn from each other and will gladly put forth effort to see a successful end product. Another thing which has been satisfying during this trip has been seeing all the work lead to something that makes a difference whether it be uncovering a piece of block or finding a shard of ceramic. To see that all your hard work has paid off is extremely rewarding. Overall, I have found that food, work, and music are unifying and universal. Everyone enjoys a good meal and this helps lift spirits, while working together you help each other and learn from one another and with music, although you may come from different parts of the world and have had vastly different experiences you can still enjoy and know the same songs.

Salut!

Karina Alvarado

 

Bones, Bread, and Bonding

Dear readers,

As I write to you now, I am resting after another day at the site. We have been here for over a week and we have moved a lot of dirt and have seen a lot of things. In this brief post, there are three elements of the trip that I have enjoyed so far. I will describe my experience of finding a number of bones while digging. Also, I will discuss the food situation here. Lastly, I will show what has brought us together as a group.
A few days ago, I was working on the back wall of the theater. I was moving away dirt from the wall. We had been working on this wall for a number of days and we had only found a few pottery fragments. Morale was low. Suddenly, I saw it. A white strand of something jutted out of the layer of dirt. Carefully I brushed away the dirt and took it out of the soil. I had found half of an animal jaw bone. I am not sure what it was but it appeared to be the jaw of a pig. Finding something that was from an ancient living thing was quite exhilarating and encouraged me to continue to dig. As a result, another bone rose from our labors: a part of a leg bone. I presume it was a part of the same animal. Finding remains of ancient organisms made the experience come alive and that moment fuels me now even when we are not so lucky finding artifacts.
For our daily meals, we start the day with bread matched with butter, jam, and other kinds of flavorful spreads. If there is one type of food that has preserved me through this trip, it is the bread. When we first arrived in Mandeure, it was bread and cheese that satisfied me when I was famished. The simple bowl of bread has been a staple on this trip and I hope this continues. In church, we ask God to give us our daily bread. In Mandeure, this simplistic wish is granted. This sharing of the bread has led to inevitable bonding.
As time has passed, our work at the Mandeure theater mixed with weekend excursions has led to strong bonds being built between students. We enjoy eating together, laughing together, and working together. It really has been the common cause of discovery and a collective wish to have a good time that has led to successful bonding among the students. We survive the work at the site. We share stories and food. These are the ingredients for bonding. With God’s grace, our bonding will continue to occur and give us fond memories for years to come. Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

James Durdan