Schedules #
Field and laboratory work usually takes place between April and September. Depending on temperature and light, expect full days of work, with an after-lunch break.
The typical daily schedule looks like the following:
| Time | Activity |
| 6:00 | Beginning of work for field & lab crews |
| 08:00–08:30 | Breakfast |
| 11:00–11:20 | Tea / Snack Break |
| ~14:30 | Lunch |
| 16:30–17:00 | Lab work |
| ~19:30 | Dinner |
Project workweeks are 5 and 3/4 days, with days off usually beginning Thursday late afternoon after field and lab work and extending all day Friday, with a full day of work resuming first thing Saturday morning.
The typical weekly schedule looks like the following:
| Fridays | Days off (beginning after lunch on Thursdays) | |
| Mondays | Field visits (12:45–14:00) | |
| Tuesdays | General meetings (17:30–18:30) | |
| Wednesdays | Lab visits (17:30–18:30) |
Longer breaks for full-season participants are scheduled according to annual holidays, convenience, and so as not to upset the progress of important work.
Currency and spending money #
Türkiye’s currency is the Turkish Lira (TL, TRY, or ₺). Current exchange rates (fluctuating significantly in recent times) are roughly $1 = ~35₺. ATM machines are ubiquitous and generally reliable if you bank with a major international bank.
The project covers expenses related to food and lodging during the workweek for the duration of the field season. Travel or lodging away from the project’s home base will be at participants’ own cost. Numerous sites are within a day’s travel from Kaymakçı for days off (e.g., Sardis (Sart), Ephesus (Selçuk), Pergamon (Bergama), Phokaia (Foça), Kula, and Uşak). Participants are permitted to stay at Kaymakçı on days off but must be mindful of project directors and senior staff, who use project space most intensively during such days (and who expect it to be kept exceptionally clean!).
Communications #
Internet access at Kaymakçı should be available, but participants should not expect unlimited or fast service. Participants should bring their own laptops and/or tablets to work on during the season and for e-mail, video-chatting, or other internet-based communications.
GSM-capable cell phones are usable in Türkiye with the purchase a Turkish SIM card (costs vary, but airport kiosks may have several options). If this is of interest, participants should contact service providers for the “unlock codes” of their cell phones. Alternatively, one can purchase a relatively inexpensive or used GSM cell phone in Türkiye. For calls from the abroad to Türkiye (recommended for price), visit online services for inexpensive calling packages. In addition to the per-minute rate, keep the following in mind: additional fees for connections to foreign cell phones versus landlines; and connection fees (minimize them as disconnections may be frequent).
In case of emergency, the project phone is usually manned during normal work hours, and the directors can be reached via their cell phones.
Project Contacts
- Directors
- Chris Roosevelt +90 (531) 273 74 03 / +90 (545) 670 68 89
- Christina Luke +90 (531) 273 74 04
- Assistant Directors
- Tunç Kaner +90 (507) 611 60 09
- Duygu Tarkan +90 (549) 784 60 23
Ministry of Culture and Tourism Representative
- İzmir İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü Şube Müdürü
- (TBD) +90 (5XX) XXX XX XX
Guards
- Regular Guard
- Yaşar Erefe +90 (541) 717 82 74
- Substitute Guard
- Ferit Erefe +90 (535) 322 88 70
Emergency Numbers
- Red Crescent & Ambulance: 112
- Fire Department: 110
- Jandarma: 156
Food #
The Project provides several meals each day; in addition the project offers a “tea” or two a day with light snacks. Meals are prepared by the project cook(s) in the project kitchen and usually include a variety of dishes, many of which include no meat (but neither vegetarian nor vegan meals can be guaranteed). Meals are served family style. For the most part the menu is based on local Turkish cuisine and what is available locally. In general, the project cannot accommodate the storage of excessive personal food, unless there are exceptional circumstances. A single refrigerator and cabinet is available for all team use for personal food storage. On occasion, participants may assist our cook(s) with food preparation if desired; it is an opportunity to learn about Turkish cuisine as well as farming (planting, harvesting, etc.) and sustainability in a region largely given over to organic agriculture.
Lodging #
Project facilities are located on the slopes of Kaymakçı and within the neighborhood of Hacıveliler, Gölmarmara, at the Asphodel (Gygaia Projects) Research Center. The houses and rooms are comfortable, but are also relatively “bare bones.” Participants are assigned to shared rooms based on the team list and needs of each year. The project does its best to accommodate personal preferences as well as couples. It also works to ensure that the gender dynamic for housing meets with approval in the region (i.e., in project residential buildings, women tend to live together, and men tend to live together).
Conduct #
Kaymakçı is located near the village of Hacıveliler, in the rural landscape surrounding Lake Marmara. Living conditions are good, but participants should come expecting to live in rural conditions in a small Muslim community in western Türkiye. The project asks that participants not consume alcohol openly outside the confines of our facility (and not at all on religious holidays, if requested). Any and all consumption of alcohol is at participants’ own cost and should be kept private. This applies to the storage, consumption, and disposal of all alcohol and containers. All project participants are guests in this small rural community and should do their best to respect the perspectives of our hosts.
Project work operates under an official research permit issued by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Each year a representative appointed by the Ministry lives, eats, and works with the team at all times. Project participants are expected to interact genially and respectfully with the representative as ambassadors of the project.