"City of Hera" is being excavated by women

The work carried out in the ancient city in the Karaevli District is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's "Heritage for the Future Project."

The work continues under the leadership of Istanbul Rumeli University Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture Dean, Archaeological Research Office Coordinator and Excavation Director Prof. Dr. Neşe Atik.

In addition to expert archaeologists, female workers from the local community also take part in the excavation area.

Eleven women who took part in excavations that shed light on the Thracian civilization are contributing to the unearthing of structures and artifacts dating back thousands of years.

Apart from the women, the excavation team includes two deputy excavation directors and three archaeologists.

Prof. Dr. Neşe Atik told an AA correspondent that the Heraion-Teikhos Ancient City is one of the rare settlements in Thrace that bears traces of Thracian culture.

Atik, stating that they have been trying to unearth the ancient city through excavations that have been ongoing for years, said, "We are continuing the excavations with our female workers. We started with women for the first time in 2000. Our female workers are like our sisters, and some of them are much more experienced. Of course, they have been working for years. New ones joined these colleagues this year. We started with 11 women. Their numbers will increase with the upcoming funding."

Atik stated that the participation of women in the excavations added a different colour to the ancient city.

Atik stated that it was enjoyable to work with female workers and noted:

"For example, I never say, 'Why are you sitting down? Why aren't you working? What are you doing?' I say, 'For God's sake, sit down and get some rest.' They work very systematically. We told them to work slowly and pay attention to every piece that comes out. They're very careful. They really don't miss a thing. This is very important because those broken pieces are then washed and put back together. You know, it would be a shame if a piece were missing. And like us, for example, I explain what comes out. What do we expect? For example, what kind of container is this? If there's a picture on it, what is that picture? They learn along with us, our students, like students. They even teach what they know to new students."

Kıymet Altın, who worked in the field, said he was happy to work in the ancient city.

Altın, who stated that he had previously gone to the fields for daily wages but enjoyed working in the ancient city even more, said, "We come here with joy and curiosity, even in this heat, with excitement, and we work. It makes it even more exciting. We always work with such care, thinking about what we'll find and what we'll unearth. So that we don't miss anything."