The Balkan Heritage Field School (BHFS) has just opened the application session for the next field school season in 2015.
The Balkan Heritage Field School (BHFS) is a program of the Balkan Heritage Foundation (a Bulgarian public, non-profit, non-governmental organization). Since 2003 it has been offering different projects/courses, taught in English, for practical education in the fields of Archaeology and History of South-Eastern Europe, Documentation, Conservation and Restoration of Historic Artifacts and Monuments, in two Balkan countries: Bulgaria and Republic of Macedonia. The Program has involved a number of academic and research institutions, museums and heritage specialists from Bulgaria, Republic of Macedonia, USA, Canada, France and Japan – among them is the New Bulgarian University, which provides to all students the opportunity to obtain by request credit hours for their participation in the BHFS projects/courses.
Check all the projects and courses open currently for applications below in this e-mail or at the BHFS website: http://www.bhfieldschool.org . They are affiliated with ongoing research and/or conservation projects (such as excavations, expeditions, conservation workshops). The available projects/courses take place at different excavation sites and historic places related to all major cultures and civilizations that once existed in the Balkans (starting with the Balkan Neolithic cultures followed by the Balkan Chalcolithic, Ancient Greek and Roman, Byzantine and Medieval Balkan as well as Ottoman civilizations). Conservation projects focus on work with authentic artifacts: ancient Greek pottery, Roman and Late Antique pottery and glassware, mosaics and wall-paintings.
Benefit from:
1. The discounts available such as SUPER EARLY BIRD SPECIAL – a 15% discount off the admission fee for ALL EXCAVATION PROJECTS available by 30 November, 2014 and EARLY BIRD SPECIAL – a 10% discount off the admission fee for all projects and courses available by 31 January, 2015;
- The project packs combining up to three different projects located in up to two countries and providing a more comprehensive and longer (up to 8 weeks) experience as well as beneficial discounts off the admission fees;
3. All the tours around the Balkans including Istanbul and Troy (Turkey), Athens, Delphi, Philippi, Pella and Vergina (Greece) as well as many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bulgaria, Republic of Macedonia and Serbia.
THE BHFS PROJECTS/COURSES IN 2015
ARCHAEOLOGY & EXCAVATION
THE BIRTH OF EUROPE – EXCAVATION OF THE NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT ILINDENTSI (Bulgaria) + OPTIONAL TOUR OF PHILIPPI AND KAVALA (Greece)
Excavations of one of the earliest Neolithic settlements in Europe (6000-5500 BC), near Ilindentsi, Southwestern Bulgaria. The Field School focuses on Neolithic and field archaeology, finds processing and Neolithic ceramic studies.
Two field school sessions are available:
Session 1: 13 June – 27 June, 2015
Session 2: 28 June – 12 July, 2015
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
RISE AND FALL OF THE FIRST EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION – TELL YUNATSITE EXCAVATIONS (Bulgaria) + OPTIONAL TOUR OF TROY AND ISTANBUL (Turkey)
Excavations of Tell Yunatsite – one of the very first urban settlements in Europe (5000-4200 BC), near Pazardzhik, Southern Bulgaria. The Field School focuses on Chalcolithic and field archaeology, finds processing as well as Prehistoric warfare.
Two field school sessions are available:
Session 1: 12 – 26 July, 2015
Session 2: 26 July – 9 August, 2015
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
STOBI (CAPITAL CITY OF MACEDONIA SECUNDA) EXCAVATIONS (Republic of Macedonia) + OPTIONAL TOURS OF ATHENS, DELPHI, PELLA AND VERGINA (Greece)
Excavations of the Theodossian Palace – one of the most impressive Roman buildings with floor mosaics in the ancient (Late Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine) city of Stobi, Republic of Macedonia. The Field School focuses on Classical and field archaeology as well as finds processing.
Two field school sessions are available:
Session 1: 27 June – 11 July, 2015
Session 2: 11 – 25 July, 2015
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
APOLLONIA PONTICA EXCAVATIONS (Bulgaria) + OPTIONAL TOUR OF ISTANBUL (Turkey)
Excavations of the sacred precinct (temenos) of the Temple of Apollo – St. Kirik Island in Sozopol (once known as Apollonia Pontica), Bulgaria. The Field School focuses on Classical and field archaeology, finds processing as well as ancient Greek colonization.
Three field school sessions are available:
Session 1: 27 June – 11 July, 2015
Session 2: 11 – 25 July, 2015
Session 3: 27 June – 18 July, 2015
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
ANCIENT GREEKS IN THE LAND OF DIONYSOS – EXCAVATION OF EMPORION PISTIROS, THRACE (Bulgaria)
Excavations of emporion Pistiros – an ancient Greek trade center and river harbor located deep in ancient Thrace: the land of origin of Dionysos and Orpheos. The Field School focuses on Classical and field archaeology, finds processing as well as studying the interactions between ancient Greek and Thracian civilizations.
Three field school sessions are available:
Session 1: 26 July – 9 August, 2015
Session 2: 9 – 23 August, 2015
Session 3: 26 July – 16 August, 2015
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
CONSERVATION & RESTORATION
WORKSHOP FOR CONSERVATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ROMAN MOSAICS (Republic of Macedonia)
The workshop will guide the participants through the history, techniques and consequent stages of conservation and documentation of Roman and Late Roman (Early Byzantine) mosaics/mosaic fragments found in the ancient city of Stobi.
Dates: 6-20 June, 2015
Academic credits available for students: 6
WORKSHOP FOR CONSERVATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ROMAN MOSAICS AND MURAL PAINTINGS (Republic of Macedonia) + TOUR OF ANCIENT MACEDONIAN CAPITALS PELLA AND VERGINA (Greece)
The workshop will enable students and volunteers to gain comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience in both 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. It will be based on authentic Roman and Late Roman mosaics/mosaic and wall-painting fragments found in the ancient city of Stobi.
Dates: 6-27 June, 2015
Academic credits available for students: 9
WORKSHOP FOR CONSERVATION, RESTORATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ROMAN POTTERY (Republic of 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. It will be based on Roman and Late Roman pottery found in the ancient city of Stobi. During the workshop participants will work with authentic Roman and Late Roman sherds[AB1] from the collection of NI Stobi.
Dates: 6-20 June, 2015
Academic credits available for students: 6
WORKSHOP FOR CONSERVATION, RESTORATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ROMAN POTTERY AND GLASS (Republic of Macedonia) + TOUR OF ANCIENT MACEDONIAN CAPITALS PELLA AND VERGINA (Greece)
The workshop will enable students and volunteers to gain comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience in Roman and Late Roman pottery and glass conservation and documentation. It will be based on Roman and Late Roman pottery and glassware found in the ancient city of Stobi. During the workshop participants will work with authentic Roman sherds and modern replicas of Roman glassware.
Dates: 6-27 June, 2015
Academic credits available for students: 9
WORKSHOP FOR 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 documentation, study, conservation and restoration. It will take place consequently in Emona and Sozopol (ancient Apollonia Pontica) on the Black Sea coast, Bulgaria. Both the theoretical and practical classes will be based on Late Classical Greek and Hellenistic pottery found in the necropolis of Apollonia Pontica. During the workshop participants will work with authentic sherds.
Dates: 1-15 September, 2015
Academic credits available for students: 6
STUDY AND DOCUMENTATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
“FRESCO-HUNTING” PHOTO RESEARCH EXPEDITION TO MEDIEVAL BALKAN CHURCHES (Bulgaria/Serbia) + OPTIONAL TOUR OF ISTANBUL (Turkey)
The project provides an 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, to enhance their photography skills, to gain knowledge about Orthodox Christianity and Byzantine and Medieval Balkan civilization as well as to visit many historic sites and museums in Sofia, Western Bulgaria and Eastern Serbia.
Standard Field School Project: 16 – 30 May, 2015
Extended Field School Project: 16 May – 6 June, 2015
Academic credits available for students: up to 9
