Every year the Balkan Heritage Field School (BHFS) offers up to 15 projects/courses in the field of Archeology and History of South-Eastern Europe, Documentation, Conservation and Restoration of Historic Artifacts and Monuments – all of them are affiliated with ongoing excavation, heritage conservation and documentation projects and listed among the academic courses of New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria (so all participants can obtain academic credits upon request). Since 2003 the BHFS has implemented 52 field school projects attended by more than 900 students from 48 countries.
Project countries: Bulgaria, Macedonia.
Projects’ language: English.
Historical periods in focus of the BHFS projects: Early and Middle Balkan Neolithic (6000-5400 BC); Balkan Chalcolithic (5000 – 4000 BC), Archaic Greek (seventh-sixth century BC), Classical Greek (fifth to fourth century BC),  Classical Thracian (fifth to fourth century BC), Hellenistic (fourth to first century BC), Roman (first to fourth century AD), Early Byzantine (fourth to sixth century AD), Early Medieval and Late Migration Period (seventh to ninth century AD) and Late Medieval (fourteenth to seventeenth century AD).
The BHFS projects in 2014:

“FRESCO-HUNTING” PHOTO RESEARCH EXPEDITION TO MEDIEVAL BALKAN CHURCHES (Bulgaria/ Serbia)

The project provides a unique opportunity to students and volunteers to take part in an expedition for documentation of abandoned medieval churches/chapels and their frescoes in Western Bulgaria and to visit many other Christian Orthodox churches and monasteries, museums and archaeological sites in Sofia, Western Bulgaria and Eastern Serbia.
Standard Field School Project: 17 – 31 May, 2014
Extended Field School Project: (Standard project + Workshop on Advanced Digital Photographic Documentation): 17 May – 7 June, 2014
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
 
NEW PROJECT! WORKSHOP ON ADVANCED DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION OF ARTIFACTS AND ARCHITECTURE (RTI AND PHOTOGRAMMETRY)
This workshop will instruct students on the use of the latest techniques in Computational Photography to document a Medieval church in Western Bulgaria.  It is undertaken to support and compliment the efforts of the “Fresco-Hunting” Photo Research Expedition to Medieval Balkan Churches that has been running for six years in the area.
Dates: 31 May – 7 June, 2014

THE BIRTH OF EUROPE – EXCAVATION OF THE NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT ILINDENTSI (Bulgaria)
Excavations of one of the very first Neolithic settlements in Europe (6000-5400 BC) near Ilindentsi, Southwestern Bulgaria. Trips to medieval Melnik and Rila Monastery (Bulgaria). Optional trip to Philippi and Kavala on the Aegean Coast (Greece). Two field school sessions are available:
Session 1: 14 June – 28 June, 2014
Session 2: 29 June – 13 July, 2014
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
 
WORKSHOP FOR CONSERVATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ROMAN MOSAICS (Macedonia)
The workshop will guide the participants through  the history, techniques and consequent stages of archaeological study, conservation and documentation of Roman and Late Roman (Early Byzantine) mosaics. Both the theoretical and practical courses will be based on authentic Roman mosaics / mosaic fragments found in the ancient city of Stobi. Participants will take part in trips to Heraclea Lyncestis and Ohrid (Macedonia).
Dates: 7 – 21 June, 2014
Academic credits available for students: 6
NEW PROJECT!   WORKSHOP FOR CONSERVATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ROMAN MOSAICS AND MURAL PAINTINGS (Macedonia).
The workshop will enable students and volunteers to gain comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience in Roman Mosaic and Mural Painting Art and Conservation. Participants will be guided through the consequent stages of  study, conservation, restoration and  documentation as well as the history and technology of Roman mosaics and mural paintings. They will take part in trips to Heraclea Lyncestis, Ohrid (Macedonia), Pella and Vergina (Greece).
Dates: 7 – 28 June, 2014
Academic credits available for students: 9
 
WORKSHOP FOR CONSERVATION, RESTORATION  AND DOCUMENTATION OF ROMAN POTTERY (Macedonia)
The workshop will introduce the participants to the history and technology of Roman and Late Roman (Early Byzantine) pottery and will guide them through the consequent stages of archaeological conservation, restoration, documentation and study. Both the theoretical and practical courses will be based on Roman pottery found in the ancient city of Stobi. During the workshop participants will work with authentic Roman shards and take trips to Heraclea Lyncestis and Ohrid (Macedonia).
Dates: 7 – 21 June, 2014
Academic credits available for students: 6
 
NEW PROJECT!   WORKSHOP FOR CONSERVATION, RESTORATION  AND DOCUMENTATION OF ROMAN POTTERY AND GLASS (Macedonia).
The workshop will enable students and volunteers to gain comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience in Roman pottery and glass conservation and documentation. They will take part in trips to Heraclea Lyncestis, Ohrid (Macedonia), Pella and Vergina (Greece).
Dates: 7 – 28 June, 2014
Academic credits available for students: 9
 
RISE AND FALL OF THE FIRST EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION – TELL YUNATSITE EXCAVATIONS (Bulgaria)
Excavations of Tell Yunatsite near Pazardzhik, Southern Bulgaria – one of the earliest urban settlements in Europe (5000-4200 BC) belonging to the FIRST EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION. Trips to Plovdiv and the Museum of the Museum of the Europe’ best preserved Neolithic (5600 BC) dwellings in Stara Zagora. Three field school sessions are available:
Session 1 : 19 July – 2 August, 2014
Session 2 : 3 – 16 August, 2014
Session 3 : 19 July – 9 August, 2014
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
 
APOLLONIA PONTICA EXCAVATIONS (Bulgaria) 

Come and help the project team to reveal the secrets of the forgotten temple of Apollo on St. Kirik Island – once part of the Ancient Greek city of Apollonia Pontica, present-day Sozopol on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Trips to Nessebar and the Megalithic complex of Begliktash. Optional trip to Istanbul, Turkey. Three field school sessions are available:
Session 1: 29 June – 13 July, 2014
Session 2: 14 – 28 July, 2014 
Session 2: 29 June – 20 July, 2014 
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
 
STOBI (THE CAPITAL CITY OF MACEDONIA SECUNDA) EXCAVATIONS (Macedonia)
Excavations of the impressive ancient (Late Hellenistic, Roman, Early Byzantine) city of Stobi, Macedonia. Trips to Heraclea Lyncestis and Ohrid (Macedonia). Optional trip to Pella and Vergina (Greece). Two field school sessions are available:
Session 1: 29 June – 13 July, 2014
Session 2: 14 – 28 July, 2014
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
 
ANCIENT GREEKS IN THE LAND OF DIONYSUS – EXCAVATION OF EMPORION PISTIROS, THRACE, BULGARIA (Bulgaria).
Excavation of the Ancient Greek emporion Pistiros is to reveal more secrets about the trade, metallurgy, and every-day and religious life, especially the cult of Dionysus (which most of the ancient authors and the majority of the modern scholars consider rooting in Thrace) in Ancient Greece and Thrace in Classical and Hellenistic periods. Trips to Plovdiv and the Thracian royal burial tombs in the Rose Valley. Three field school sessions are available:
Session 1: 2 – 16 August, 2014
Session 2: 17 – 31 August, 2014 
Session 3: 2 – 23 August, 2014 
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
 
NEW PROJECT!  TOPOLA – THE BIGGEST BIRITUAL NECROPOLIS IN SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE: How the Burial Traditions Reveal the Complex Formation of a Medieval State (Bulgaria)

The number of 600 excavated graves makes the Early Medieval necropolis near Topola (end of 7th – mid. 9th century) on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast the biggest biritual (with inhumation and cremation burials) necropolis in South Eastern Europe. The project provides an amazing field experience to students and volunteers combined with high-quality instruction and training (esp. in the field of physical anthropology). Trips to Varna and Kaliakra Fortress. Two field school sessions are available:
Session 1: 2 – 16 August, 2014
Session 2: 17 – 31 August, 2014
WORKSHOP FOR CONSERVATION, RESTORATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ANCIENT GREEK POTTERY (Bulgaria)
The workshop will guide the participants through the history of Ancient Greek pottery, its production and consequent stages of archaeological conservation, documentation, study, and restoration. It will take place consequently in Emona and Sozopol (the ancient city of Apollonia Pontica) on the Black sea coast, Bulgaria. Both the theoretical and practical courses will be based on Ancient Greek pottery found in Sozopol. During the workshop participants will work with authentic Ancient Greek shards and take a trip to Nessebar.
Dates: 2 – 16 September, 2014
Academic credits available for students: 6
 
More detailed information on all the Balkan Heritage Field School Projects in 2014 as well as our special discounts is available for viewing on our website at: http://www.bhfieldschool.org.

On-line applications can be submitted at: http://www.bhfieldschool.org/apply.php
Discounts off the admission fees are available in case of:
1) Early Registration in any BHFS Project – by JANUARY 31st, 2014
2) Membership in the Archaeological Institute of America.
3) Small Groups (two or three people, who participate in a BHFS project in 2014)
4) Larger Groups (four or more people, who participate in a BHFS project in 2014)
5) Participation in any BHFS project/s in the past.
6) Participation in more than 1 BH project or project session in 2014