These images show how a nine-month-old baby is stealing the show during an archaeological dig at a 12,000-year-old settlement.
The dig is taking place in the district of Hasankeyf, which is located in south-eastern Turkey’s Batman Province.
The baby’s mother, named in local media outlet Hurriyet as Tulay Unlu Agrak, said: “She is only 9 months old, witnessing excavation efforts on 12,000-year-old land. What a memory it will be.”
The baby girl, named Sarya, also has her dad nearby. Metin Agrak is also an archaeologist from Hasankeyf Museum working at a nearby excavation site.
Tulay said: “I have been bringing her with me two or three times a week since she was seven months old.”
She said the baby prefers to “plays with trowels rather than toys.”
With her smiling face and cute demeanour, it was not long before she became the centre of attention for the excavation team.
Tulay said: “I asked myself ‘how can I join the dig with my baby?’ Then my husband said ‘let’s take her with us’. We tried, and it worked.”
She added that all team members taking part in the archaeological dig “help me when she needs sleep”.
Zekai Erdal, director of the archaeological dig site, is also happy to host the baby girl.
He said: “Sarya brings joy to the site. When she is not around, our eyes look for her.”
Erdal had previously explained to local media outlet AA that they started the excavation work inside the Roman period garrison structure and in the cemetery area to the east of the garrison with the aim of revealing the real borders of the military structure and a rough outline of it.
Most of the Hasankeyf settlement is now submerged underwater after the authorities built a dam and flooded the valley in 2020 despite protests from locals and academics.
Sarya, a nine-month-old baby girl whose parents are archaeologists, has become a source of joy for the excavation team working in a castle in Batman, Turkey. (Newsflash) 
Sarya, a nine-month-old baby girl whose parents are archaeologists, has become a source of joy for the excavation team working in a castle in Batman, Turkey. (Newsflash)
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Lee Bullen, Agency: Newsflash
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