American Archaeologists in Turkey: Intellectual and Social Dimensions

Year 1996, Issue: 4, 47 - 68, 01.10.1996

Charles Gates

Abstract

A standard Turkish concept about archaeology, one attested by my students, Note 1 is that Turkey is exceptionally rich in archaeological remains and, as a result, foreigners naturally want to work here. But the world is full of archaeological remains, even North America. The reasons why American and other foreign archaeologists might choose to undertake research in Turkey instead of in other countries are more complex than the Turkish public generally realizes. In this article I examine the motives of American archaeologists who have worked in Turkey. What they have found will be less important than why they came here in the first place. Aspects of the problem include the academic/intellectual framework into which the archaeology of Turkey fits in the United States, socio-political factors, and changes through time. American archaeology in Turkey is seen to be a component of US social and intellectual history, but it is a part of the social and intellectual history of Turkey as well.

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