While I was excavating and studying stone tools in northeastern Syria, about 40 miles (70 km) from Iraq and 4 miles (6 km) from Turkey, the local Syrians were very welcoming and eager to communicate with me, wanting to know where I came from, if I had been to Syria before, what I thought of their country, if I was married, if I had kids, and just about everything else about me.  The language barrier was more of an obstacle in the country compared to the city -- fewer people know English in rural areas, and it was, of course, my fault that my Arabic skills, while slowly improving, were limited and likely quite terrible.  Somehow, though, we were able to communicate at least a little bit.  

As soon as one of the local shepherds saw me, as I followed the sounds of sheep with camera in hand, he immediately waved hello and gestured that I should take a photo of him and his flock.  I smiled, thanked him, and apologized for just knowing a little Arabic.  Placing his arm across his chest with his hand by his heart, a gesture of sincerity, he bowed his head and welcomed me in Arabic.  I returned the gesture, thanked him once again, and had to return to the fieldhouse before the afternoon rest period was over and we needed to get back to work.

On another afternoon, I was walking down the side of the tell to take some pictures, and I saw a tractor driving down a road that passes near the tell.  The two mean on the tractor also saw me, from quite a distance, walking down the tell.  They immediately started waving and made a turn to meet me at the bottom of the tell.  They shouted "Hello!  Hello!" in Arabic as they approached, and I returned their greeting.  Like the shepherd, as soon as they saw I had a camera, they gestured that I should take their photo.  I did (and the result is below) and thanked them.  I said that I was from America and apologized that I only knew a little Arabic.  They welcomed me while, like the shepherd, bowing slightly and placing an arm across their chests.  I thanked them and returned the gesture.  I couldn't understand exactly what they said, but the farmers then indicated that they'd like me to jump on the tractor so they could show me their village, homes, farms, families, everything.  I knew from experience that Syrians could be so hospitable and welcoming that they might ask a complete stranger to stay for hours, even days.  I apologized sincerely and explained as clearly as I could that I had to stay at the site.  They accepted this, said good-bye, and waved as they drove away.