In a comprehensive lecture illustrated with over 160 slides Phil discussed the Turkish archaeological sites that he had visited during the time he work in the country from 1971-4. This was before widespread tourist development in Turkey and Phil had been able to record many of the sites prior to any significant restoration and commercialisation. The lecture covered over three Millennia. The earliest sites were Hittite, where text had been discovered in clay baked tablets. The various cities of Troy were then described. As the chronology moved on Hellenistic temples and Roman sites were discussed.
Phil's description of the Byzantine period was not limited to Turkey, he also had slides from Venice showing the four golden horses at St Marks' that had been taken from Constantinople during the looting that accompanied the Fourth Crusade. The lecture concluded with a number of sites from the Seljuk and Ottoman Turk periods. Phil had covered sites that are now in the heavily commercialised area in the Southwest, and in the east of the country that is now not accessible to tourists because of political tensions. Ed Archer gave the vote of thanks for a very interesting lecture that had shown us a number of sites that members would now never be able to see for themselves. After the lecture Phil stayed for a while to advise a number of members who wanted to discussed their own proposed visits to the country.