We are happy to announce that the 2011 excavations at Marj Rabba, in the lower Galilee, Israel are now a University of Chicago field school offering credit through either the Department of Anthropology or Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.
By participating in the excavations at Marj Rabba, students explore a region virtually unexamined for this important period in early human society, the late fifth- to early fourth-millennium BC, known as the Chalcolithic (copper/stone) Period. This enigmatic era, (approx. 4500-3700 BC) was a time when new burial practices, ritual centers, and expanding networks for the trade of gold, obsidian, copper, and ivory attest to widespread, fundamental changes in pre-biblical societies.
This course is designed as a practicum in archaeological field methods. Students will receive extensive training in excavation methods, recording procedures, and the preliminary processing of artifacts. Weekly lectures by project staff and guest lecturers exploring the archaeology, geology, and cultural aspects of the region will supplement the primary focus on field experience.
The field season will run from July 17 to August 22, 2011.
For information about the field school and site, please see:
https://summer.uchicago.edu/archaeological-field-school.cfm?r=2
Volunteers are also welcome. We are a small research investigation, and as such, space fills quickly.  The deadline for applications is April 15, 2011.  If you would like to volunteer, please contact Yorke Rowan, ymrowan@uchicago.edu.
Best wishes,
Yorke