On Saturday, April 14, the Department of Archaeology and the Bilkent Archaeology Club held the first Bilkent Archaeology Day. As stated by the department chair, Prof. Dominique Kassab Tezgör, the purpose of the event was to integrate the Bilkent archaeology community more fully within the wider one of Ankara, as well as to strengthen the connection between the archaeology departments of Bilkent and other universities in Ankara, and between the departments and the archaeological research institutes in the city.
The morning session of the event consisted of a student symposium conducted by the Bilkent Archaeology Club, in which students from the Hacettepe, Ankara and Gazi University clubs also participated. The symposium focused on “Education in Antiquity,” with students presenting information about different systems of education in the ancient world.
The afternoon session was divided into two parts. During the first segment, members of the Bilkent Department of Archaeology discussed their current research. In the second, archaeologists from various institutions who are involved in excavating Labraunda, near Milas, spoke about the site.
The plans are for Bilkent Archaeology Day to be held on a yearly basis, but with an expanded format that will include presentations on the research of more colleagues from Ankara and Turkey as well as from abroad.
