Erin Finn: Analyzing ancient remains to discover new insights about the past

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - Waking up at 4 a.m. to hike a steep trail in 90-degree heat to excavate ancient remains may not seem like a relaxing way to spend part of the summer, but it was an opportunity Brown University student Erin Finn could not pass up.

Finn, a rising senior who is double concentrating in archaeology and the ancient world and biological anthropology, engaged in hands-on research at the ruins of a Roman-era necropolis overlooking the Mediterranean Sea at Antiochia ad Cragum on Turkey's southern coast. She was invited to join the excavation by one of her thesis advisers, Candace Rice, an assistant professor of archaeology and the ancient world and classics at Brown and the site's director, appointed by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

"In every excavation, the overarching goal is to understand what happened," Finn said. "We explore why the people do what they do, what made them unique, what was their life like - both in intimate everyday life, as well as the larger picture of the overall culture and people."

The opportunity came just as Finn was contemplating a senior thesis topic, and the site presented a compelling research focus: Its necropolis contains centuries-old human remains that hadn't been studied yet, which aligns closely with her interest in human osteology, the scientific study of the skeleton.

"The opportunity to work with Roman-period remains is not something I previously had the chance to do, so when Professor Rice offered me the position, I said 'absolutely,'" said Finn.

She secured partial funding for the trip through the Joukowsky Fieldwork Fund at Brown, which provides financial support for undergraduates to offset the cost of archaeological fieldwork and research. Finn has always been curious about death and burial practices, and her coursework at Brown, including a human osteology class, further cultivated her interest.

"Mortuary rituals are a key aspect of culture and one that's not often discussed, but understanding how somebody treats their dead really gives you a good picture of how the living view themselves and people in general," Finn said. "Looking at this can add to our larger understanding of a region."

Uncovering history in the field and in the lab

Finn, who was able to take a two-week break in July from a summer internship at Procter & Gamble for the fieldwork experience in Turkey, spent part of her time excavating the necropolis and the other part working to catalog and analyze the remains in an on-site laboratory.

Despite being more than a thousand years old - the remains probably date between the second and fourth centuries C.E., according to Rice - the bone fragments are still identifiable, ranging from about the size of a pinky nail to a dollar coin or even larger. During the excavation, Finn also uncovered nearly a full shaft of an arm bone, as well as skull fragments from burials from the Byzantine era that had previously been disrupted.

She worked with the project's bioarchaeology team, which included anthropology and archaeology faculty from universities across the U.S. and Turkey, and they carefully transported artifacts and fragments back to the laboratory in bags.

"Each bag was over 20 pounds, and we trekked ourselves back down the mountain," Finn said. "We were all tired. The views are stunning, but we were all sweating, covered in sunscreen and dirt."

Once in the lab, Finn focused on cataloging a subset of the cremated remains that were excavated from the necropolis. She also took photographs and detailed notes on aspects including fragment color, size and condition, which she will continue to reference as she works on her thesis throughout the upcoming academic year.

"I looked at every fragment to try to identify what it was and ended up with about 1,600 photographs and a 238-row spreadsheet," Finn said.

Her research will include consulting other sources and completing additional analysis on the remains to possibly draw conclusions and unearth new questions. In addition to forming the basis of her thesis, Finn's summer experience may also help inform future research at the site for Rice and other archaeologists.

"This was an amazing chance to work with remains that had not been studied yet," Finn said. "No one's really looked at these at the level that I will be. It's just the coolest thing to have this opportunity, and to, in the best way that I can, work to honor these individuals by trying to find out more about who they were."

The remains from Antiochia ad Cragum are the cultural property of Turkey, and the scientific study of them is carried out with the permission of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Rice said. The results of the research will be shared with the local community and authorities, and the remains will be securely interred by the ministry following completion of the research.