Caitlin Fisher

Amazing Corinth

I spent six weeks this summer on a study season in Corinth working on the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project- my first project. Along with a small group, I spent the summer studying, organizing, and cataloguing the collection of materials that had been gathered during the previous couple summers’ excavations. The project focuses on the settlements of the Lechaion harbor, one of the most prominent “commercial hubs” of the Ancient Mediterranean, and that centrality and importance was evident in everything we examined. We studied materials such as shells, coins, carbonized organics, glass, and pottery, and I learned how to use these items left behind to start to paint a picture of vibrant life and occupation at the site. Broken sherds of pottery, for instance, could become windows into not only potentially understanding the use of buildings and rooms, but trade and dating of the site itself. I was endlessly fascinated by the abundance of different specializations that contribute to an archaeological project and getting to work directly with materials from cultures I have studied for the past four years was truly special.

Along with the physical work on the project, I got to spend six phenomenal (very hot) weeks in Greece! Our group lived in the small village of Ancient Corinth, where views of Acrocorinth and the Temple of Apollo were not only breathtaking but connected me even closer to the materials I studied every day. Our weekend trips to nearby sites like Mycenae and Nemea immersed me entirely in the rich history of the Ancient Mediterranean while I grew an incredibly deep appreciation for the discipline of archaeology. Participating in the preservation, study, and the sharing of this history has been the experience of a lifetime, and one I will forever be grateful for.