OSU EXCAVATIONS AT ISTHMIA

RULES AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

 We will be living and working together in close contact for the next several weeks.  These rules have been established on the basis of many years of experience in Greece.  They are not meant to be Draconian, but to make everyone's experience as pleasant and meaningful as possible.  Please read the rules carefully and refer to them frequently.  You will be expected to abide by all of them.  The rules have been drawn up to apply to all staff members, including undergraduate students and volunteers.  Obviously, not all of these rules will apply equally to all members, so please do not be offended at the nature of some of the rules.  Please print these rules out and keep them with you to Greece.

GENERAL RULES:

1. Be tolerant and non-judgmental about each other.  We all have special skills, accomplishments, experiences, and needs that we are bringing to this program.  The one thing that will cause problems is in-fighting within the group.  It cannot be tolerated.

 2. Be open and tolerant about Greece and Greeks.  Many times you will find Greeks to be irritating and Greek culture different from our own.  Try to appreciate the differences and remember that we are guests in their country and that Greeks cannot be expected to act like Americans.

 3. When you are in the field, remember to be courteous to farmers and others you meet.  Avoid walking in fields with standing crops or otherwise damaging the farmers' work.  If someone asks what you are doing, be polite and clear in what you say--in all cases try to smile.  If a landowner asks you to leave, please do so graciously and report the incident to senior staff members.

 4. Try to maintain a proper mixture of fun and serious work.  You are here to study and work in an archaeological project--not just to go to the beach and drink!  There will be plenty of free time and we will often go to the beach, but you will be expected to do your work at the assigned times.   In addition, you will all be assigned to do various housekeeping tasks, on a revolving basis.  We hope you understand that these must be done and that you will carry out your work with good will and good humor.

 5. In general, try to keep your voices down and avoid loud talking and laughing.  This may seem strange, but Americans (for some reason) are often extraordinarily loud when they are in packs.  If you make all the noise, you will miss what's going on around you.

 6. Along these same lines, try generally to avoid the "group" mentality.  Go off places by yourself or with one or two others from the group: you'll see more and learn more.

 7. Remember to act in a proper manner in Ancient Korinth and in the Korinthia generally.  That means you should dress in a reasonably decent manner and avoid improper public behavior.  Your actions will have an effect on students who come after you, on Isthmia Excavations, and the survey project.

 8. Do not buy or take drugs while you are a part of this program.  Laws in Greece are much harsher than those in America.  Don't be stupid, and remember "Midnight Express" -- it's not that far-fetched.

 9. Keep in mind that this is a "budget" operation designed to let you see and experience as much as possible at the least possible cost.  This will occasionally mean some inconvenience for you and the hotel accommodations may sometimes seem cramped, but you will also be seeing the "real" Greece.                  

 10. You should check the bulletin board in the kitchen daily for changes in the schedule.

 11. It is your responsibility to be on time for all activities.  If you are late we may have to leave without you.  In that case, you should plan to catch up with us as quickly as possible.  On the other hand, you should understand that many of the senior staff have various responsibilities and they are often required to be late for events; try to be patient and understanding about this.

 12. You are not "required" to attend any activity or presentation although you will probably want to come to most official functions.  Announcements and information provided cannot normally be repeated for people who are absent.

 13. Inform us immediately about any health problems.

 14. If you have problems or questions you can, in confidence, approach members of the senior staff.  Bring difficulties and complaints to us directly rather than grumble about them among yourselves.                                  

15. The library and study collection are housed in the "Computer Room" across the street from the hotel.  This is open 7:00AM-11:00PM; there is a key on the board near the telephone in the kitchen.  You are free to study and read there but you must use the library and study collection in accord with their individual rules.  If you are the last to leave the computer room at night, please lock it up.  Do not keep they key, but hang it in its place in the kitchen.

 16. At archaeological sites and museums please be polite and quiet.  Remember that most tourists will not take as much time as we do on sites; let them pass by.  Do not walk on unsecured walls or baulks; you may hurt the antiquities and yourselves as well.

 17. Project vehicles may be driven only by specially appointed drivers.  Please do not eat or smoke in the vehicles; the choice of music in the vehicles will be determined half by the driver and half by the passengers.

                              RULES FOR ROOMS MARINOS:

1. Remember that we are guests of the Marinos family and that this is not simply a hotel; it is an important part of the learning experience of the program and we need to maintain good relations with the Marinos family.  Please care for the rooms as you would your own place: keep things neat and clean.

 2. Don't expect Elizabeth to make your bed and clean up after you.  Rooms will be cleaned and sheets changed about once a week.  Again, remember that we're not ordinary tourists.

 3. Do NOT flush toilet paper down the toilet, but put it in the trash can in the bathroom.  This is serious: DON'T DO IT, or you'll be sorry!

 4. Do not take the Marinos' towels or sheets to the beach.

 5. You should be quiet between 2:30 and 5:00 in the afternoon and after 12:00 at night.

 6. There is a refrigerator upstairs and--if you want--we will provide soda and beer that will be sold at cost on an honor system as long as this is not abused.  Do not take beer or drinks from the refrigerator downstairs.

 7. Except in an emergency, do not use the telephones to make outgoing calls.           

 8. As much as possible, try to help with meal set-up and clean-up.  This is especially important at breakfast, when things are often a little slow at getting going.

 9. Remember that Rooms Marinos is not an ordinary hotel.  We get a great deal more from Spyro and family than merely a place to stay.  Keep that in mind when the plumbing leaks and your furniture falls apart.  Try to keep your complaining to a minimum and offer to help fix things rather than just getting upset about them--look upon such problems as a challenge!  If you cannot deal with something, please talk to Spyro or Vasili, or to the Camp Manager.

RULES FOR ISTHMIA and THE FIELD:

1. The Isthmia Museum and the Ohio State University Excavations at Isthmia are places for serious work and you should keep that in mind at all times.  We work there at the pleasure of the Greek state and through the permission of the American School of Classical Studies.  Improper behavior at the Excavation House, site, or in the countryside cannot be tolerated.   If you have completed your work and want to relax, move away from the area where others are working, so you will not distract them.

 2. We share the Korinthia with other excavation and research projects (especially Corinth Excavations); do your best to impress them with the quality of our program.

 3. It is very important that nothing gets broken or misplaced.  Many scholars have worked for years to assemble this collection of records and objects and you must not do anything to damage that.  Remember that something out of place is lost.       

 4. Food is to be prepared only in the outdoor kitchen area in the OSU facility.  No food whatsoever is to be put on the large table in the front room or anywhere else near the antiquities.   

 5. Respect the rules and orders set by the Greek guards and the Greek authorities.  Remember that we work at the site as a privilege granted by the Greek state.

 6. Work at the Excavation House or Isthmia Museum is possible only during regular work hours.  You cannot be there after hours.

 7. Remember that you are taking part in archaeological fieldwork in Greece--something that is generally impossible for American scholars.  This is a group project that requires a mix of intellectual and physical activities that range from detailed work to simple housekeeping, but all these are crucial to the progress of the survey.  There is a regular staff hierarchy and all members of the project are expected to respect the authority of these officials.

 8. Please cooperate in keeping the area of the Excavation House and Museum clean and neat.

revised 17 February 2003