Archaeology · Photography · Design

Alper
Öztürk

Archaeology student, photographer, and designer based in İzmir — blending ancient history with modern visual storytelling.

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Alper Öztürk
About

Between Layers
of Time

I'm Alper Öztürk — a photographer, designer, and archaeology student with a passion for creative visual projects and innovative solutions. Currently studying Protohistory and Archaeology of Asia Minor at Ege University, I blend my interest in ancient history with modern design.

Within archaeology, I'm particularly drawn to archaeometric methods as well as archaeomusicology. Outside my work and studies, I enjoy PC gaming (especially space simulators), exploring technology, and learning about different cultures. I've been playing violin for nine years and am an active member of my university's caving club.

Curriculum Vitae

Education, Experience
& Skills

Aug 2024 – Present
B.A. Protohistory & Archaeology of Asia Minor
Ege University, İzmir
Currently studying archaeology, specializing in Protohistory and the Ancient Near East. Researching ancient civilizations and participating in fieldwork.
Protohistory Ancient Near East
Sep 2022 – Discontinued
B.A. Animation & Game Design
Yaşar University, İzmir
Studied animation design focusing on both traditional and digital techniques. Left the program due to financial reasons.
Animation Digital Design
Jul – Aug 2026
Excavator & Documentation Team Member
Çadır Höyük Archaeological Project — Yozgat Province, Turkey
Joined the 2026 season at Çadır Höyük, a multi-period mound with occupation spanning the Late Chalcolithic through the Byzantine period. Worked as an excavator in trench, handling stratigraphic excavation and context recording, and contributed to the project's digital documentation through close-range photogrammetry — capturing exposed contexts with my own Sony a6300 and building the orthophotos and 3D models myself in Agisoft Metashape on my own hardware. Also took part in find processing and registration, from washing and sorting to cataloguing diagnostic material.
Project website
Excavation Close-Range Photogrammetry Find Registration Stratigraphy
May – Jul 2026
Geophysical Survey Team Member, UAV Pilot, Excavator
Kerkenes Archaeological Project — Yozgat Province, Turkey
Spent the first half of the 2026 season at Kerkenes, one of the largest Iron Age cities on the Anatolian plateau. Survey was the main focus of my work — geophysical and surface survey across the site's extensive urban plan — carried out alongside excavation in trench with stratigraphic recording and digital documentation using UAV photogrammetry to produce orthophotos and 3D models of excavation areas. Also handled find processing and registration alongside daily field recording.
Project website
Iron Age Geophysical Survey Excavation UAV Photogrammetry Find Registration
Jul – Sep 2025
Excavator & Documentation Team Member
Direkli Cave Excavations — Kahramanmaraş Province, Turkey
Participated in a Mesolithic/Epipaleolithic-era cave excavation. Gained hands-on experience in delicate excavation techniques and stratigraphic documentation.
Mesolithic Epipaleolithic Cave Excavation Stratigraphy Documentation
Nov 2025 – Dec 2025
Call Center Agent (Remote)
First Contact Services (FCS)
Provided English-language customer support for Pizza Hut (USA) as a Call Center Customer Representative. Managed remote night-shift operations, handling high-volume calls and ensuring accurate order processing.
Remote English Customer Support
Nov 2025 – Dec 2025
Extreme Attractions Guide
Park Orman Sportif Hizmetleri (Macera Parkı)
Served as an Amusement Park Attendant, operating high-adrenaline equipment including ziplines, zipbikes, and human catapults. Enforced strict safety protocols and guided visitors through extreme physical attractions.
Safety Protocols Operations
Feb 2021 – Aug 2024
Graphic Designer
Freelance
Delivered design solutions for branding and digital media needs across various freelance projects.
Branding Digital Media Adobe Suite
Oct 2022 – Mar 2024
Motorbike Courier (Independent Contractor)
Getir Perakende Lojistik A.Ş. (Oct 2022 – Feb 2023)
Delivered packages across İzmir as an independent contractor operating under my own registered sole proprietorship (şahıs şirketi), prioritizing speedy service, route efficiency, and client satisfaction. The company stayed active after the Getir contract ended.
Logistics Independent Contractor
May 2023 – Jun 2023
Waiter
Cadı'nın Evi
Handled table service and guest relations, coordinating with the kitchen and bar through peak hours.
Aug 2022 – Oct 2022
Waiter
Hane Çikolata & Kahve
Handled table service and daily front-of-house operations in a chocolate shop and café, focusing on customer service and a welcoming atmosphere.
Jul 2022 – Aug 2022
Waiter
Taş Ev Kafe & Bar
Provided table service in a combined café and bar, taking orders and supporting daily front-of-house operations.
Apr 2022 – May 2022
Waiter
Matador Kafe & Fırın
Served customers in a café and bakery, handling orders, counter service, and table turnover.
Feb 2022 – Apr 2022
Barista
Heaven Lounge
Prepared espresso-based drinks and ran bar service in a lounge setting, keeping pace through high-volume shifts.
Sep 2021 – Jan 2022
Hookah Master
Kahve Deryası
Managed stock, prepared quality products, and maintained hygiene standards in a busy café setting.
Jun 2021 – Sep 2021
Waiter
Koi Kafe & Fırın
First hospitality role — table service and customer care in a café and bakery across the summer season.
Nov 2020 – Apr 2022
Team Leader & UAV Pilot
Gök-Tek Aviation Solutions
Co-founder and team leader for a Teknofest competition team specializing in UAVs. Finalist in the "Savaşan İnsansız Hava Aracı" contest; the UAV was exhibited by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Teknofest Finalist UAV Development Team Leadership
Apr 2024 – Jun 2024
European Solidarity Corps Volunteer
Associação Intercultural Para Todos — Barcelos, Portugal
Volunteered on a European Solidarity Corps project with an intercultural association in Barcelos, Portugal, taking part in training sessions and carrying out community and youth volunteering activities in an international team.
ESC Portugal Intercultural Work
Feb 2023 – Apr 2023
Volunteer USAR Operator
2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes — Adıyaman & Hatay, Turkey
Went to the disaster zone after the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes with a self-organized volunteer team formed from my rock climbing circle — several of them emergency and disaster management students, one holding a medium-level search and rescue certification, which is what secured our clearance from the İzmir Governorship. The Adana crisis coordination centre assigned us to Adıyaman, where I spent two weeks on rubble operations. When debris work there was scaled back we were redeployed to İskenderun, set up a base camp, and joined operations across Hatay Province for a further month and a half.
USAR Disaster Response Rubble Operations Field Deployment
Design Software
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Lightroom
Photogrammetry & Technical
  • Agisoft Metashape
  • Hugin
  • RawTherapee
  • Topaz Gigapixel
  • AutoCAD
Office & Productivity
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
Licenses & Certifications
  • Commercial UAV Pilot — İHA-0 / İHA-1 (≤ 25 kg) · SHGM, 2021
  • Driving License — B, A1, A2, B1, M

Currently holding the license as a foundation for future training in aerial surveying and orthophoto mapping.

Professional Skills
  • Problem Solving
  • Crisis Management
  • Time Management
  • Teamwork
  • Handling Pressure
Extracurricular
  • Ege University Caving Club
  • Violin — 9 Years
Portfolio

Selected Work

A rotating selection — refreshed daily.

See All Work
Future Directions

Research Interests

Archaeometric Methods

I'm drawn to the quantitative side of archaeology — specifically orthophotogrammetry and gravimetric survey methods. Aerial documentation through UAVs offers a powerful way to record excavation contexts at scale, and I want to specialize in bridging field practice with remote sensing.

My background with Gök-Tek Aviation and my commercial UAV license form the foundation I'm building on. The next step is gaining practical flight hours on active archaeological projects.

UAV Pilot License · ≤ 25 kg
Teknofest Finalist

Archaeomusicology

Music is one of the oldest human behaviors, yet among the hardest to trace in the archaeological record. As a violinist of nine years, I'm uniquely positioned to ask musicological questions of material culture — from bone flutes to acoustic analyses of ritual spaces.

I want to explore how sound and music shaped social identities in prehistoric Anatolia, connecting my personal practice to scholarly inquiry.

9 Years · Violin
Get In Touch

Let's Connect

Whether it's about archaeology, a creative project, or just a conversation — I'd love to hear from you.

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İzmir, Kemalpaşa
+90 (543) 124 81 84