Lentil balls, Neolithic Turkey, and construction of the past

Today we have a packed episode full of the intricacies of being an archaeologist and how broad the field really is. We are thankful to speak with Dr. Burcu Tung from Stanford University about her work in archaeology, her contribution to the field through her research and Burcu shares with us her Grandma's lentil ball recipe. Burcu is a site supervisor at the famous archaeological site of Catal Hoyuk in Turkey. For those who don't know this, Catal Hoyuk is a Neolithic site located in Turkey that dates back to 7500 B.C. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site which means it is pretty damn important to global heritage. No this isn't a new world order conspiracy it's totally true! One thing I'd like to point out is Burcu began her field experience on this site back in 1998 so it's safe to say she has a real connection and interesting perspective about Catal Hoyuk.    We also have a conversation about her latest book project. She and a colleague (Flora Keshgegian) are looking into how people construct their past through their memories and heritage. They are specifically looking at Turkish and Armenian identities. This is a really fascinating talk. Archaeology isn't always about literally digging up stuff from the past. We do spend a lot of time thinking about real world issues as well.   Finally, I forgot to tell Burcu that this was a cooking podcast so I made no mention about the recipe exchange at the end of the podcast. To her credit, Burcu pulled out her Grandmother's Anatolian lentil ball recipe. It simple and sounds delicious! I had a great time chatting with Burcu about this recipe and food culture from the region. Hope you enjoy it!