In this feature, “All About Clubs and Societies,” Bilkent News is highlighting a different student club or two each issue.
The Bilkent Archaeology Club focuses on creating an interest in the humans of the past and their activities. By organizing field trips, seminars and interviews with experts in various areas of the discipline, we aim to enlighten both archaeology majors and other students about the past and how it is reflected in the present.
In collaboration with our department, we annually organize a student symposium for Bilkent Archaeology Day, which takes place at the beginning of April. Every year we decide on a new topic for the symposium, at which students from universities around Turkey present their research. This year’s topic is “The Environmental Challenge: Views and Lessons From Antiquity.”
In addition, we publish a newspaper that contains articles from both Bilkent faculty members and international contributors. It also includes reports from our alumni or MA students, in which they reflect upon the experience they gained from the department.
Although some of the field trips we were planning to organize were canceled due to COVID-19 precautions, we received great feedback from our field trip last semester to Kaman Kalehöyük in Kırşehir, where we visited an excavation directed by the Japanese Archaeology Institute and visited the museum and Japanese gardens.
The club hopes to continue its field trips in the coming semesters if health regulations permit. Meantime, our online seminars and alumni talks are continuing.
You can keep up with the activities organized by the Bilkent Archaeology Club by following our social media accounts and BAIS emails.
Instagram: @bilkentarke