Archaeologist Güneş Duru to Minister Ersoy: 'An archaeology that misses isolated phenomena is not archaeology'

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced in a TV program he attended that they are transitioning to a 'coordinator excavation directorship' era to ensure coordination in excavations.

Ersoy stated, "As of this year, we have appointed a Turkish Coordinator Excavation Director to all of them by the end of the year. When appointing a coordinator excavation director, we did so with intensive budget, intensive team, and equipment support.

We created a motto and said that we will do as much work in the next 4 years as has been done in the last 60 years of Turkish excavation history. We called this the 'golden age of archaeology'" he said.

Renowned archaeologist Güneş Duru made evaluations regarding Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy's statements.

'IT IS LIKE DIGGING A WELL WITH A NEEDLE'

Duru said, "Archaeology is mostly like digging a well with a needle; if you dig that well with an excavator and with speed, you cannot understand the past. Displaying high-quality objects detached from their context, an archaeology that misses daily life and isolated phenomena, is not archaeology" he stated.

Güneş Duru continued his words as follows:

"I wish someone could explain this to Minister Ersoy; I can understand that he does not know enough and approaches the event differently. But I wish archaeologists had the courage to say that the purpose of this profession is not tourism, and that while settlements are standing there, we must leave the right to understand the past in depth to the future, with the technologies and understanding of the future.

I wish archaeology in Turkey could reach an environment where decisions can be made by the people of this scientific field. Because in almost no other scientific field do state policies affect the course and freedom of that scientific field to this extent."

News Source: 12punto

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