Svoge Heritage program is seeking for volunteers and students to take part in the second season of the archaeological digs at Roman fortress in Iskar gorge.


The successful previous digs revealed a huge stronghold build in the ages of Constantinian dynasty (306–363). This is the only military outpost ever studied in this area and the excavations will give information about the military and administrative organization in the earlier stages of Byzantine Empire.
The field school place is located in tourist and ecological region not far from the main Bulgarian city – Sofia. The excavations are supported by Svoge Municipality and the local Historical community center. Practical and theoretical lectures will be given by different experts in the area of field archaeology and Roman history.
The excavations will be held between June 30 and July 27, 2019.
Low educational tax of 738 Euros is required in the time of applying.
Additional information can be found at http://heritage.svoge.bg/en_excavations.html

A four week volunteer program on a Roman fort
in the Danube Delta Romania

Now recruiting volunteers for the 2019 season 8 July to 3 August
Cost: 1300 USD for full room/board and fees
Halmyris, occupied from the 1st to the 7th centuries CE, lies on the borders of the Roman Empire in a region which faced repeated attachs in Antiquity. The fort today reveals a wealth of material culture and a fascinating archaeological record with multiple phases of destruction and rebuilding.
Join us for 2019 and help excavate one of the best preserved forts on the Lower Danube frontier!
For more information on the site and how to apply, visit our website at www.halmyris.org or find us on Facebook at ‘Archaeology at Halmyris’
For all enquiries, please contact Volunteer Program Coordinator Emily Hanscam at email e.r.hanscam@durham.ac.uk
 
 

The Irish Archaeology Field School provides expert led third level training in heritage based studies to both individual students as well as university partners (please see iafs.ie/) for more details). This year the IAFS are launching an exciting range of credited programs, focusing on excavation, anthropology, forensic anthropology and geoarchaeology. These courses take place in June/July/August, with shorter courses also available in March (during spring break), and vary in length from 1 to 4 weeks.
The majority of programs are taught from the site of Carrick Castle (and settlement), Ferrycarrig, County Wexford, the southeast of Ireland. This internationally important archaeological monument is the site of the first Norman Castle in Ireland, constructed in 1169. The site is located within the stunning confines of the Irish National Heritage Park, a 40 acre parkland featuring the largest open air museum in Ireland.
We also offer a geoarchaeology/environmental science studies program, administered by our parent company The Irish Heritage School, which uniquely combines field studies with laboratory work to piece together three different landscapes in three distinct locations: Birr, in the midlands; the Burren in County Clare on the West coast; and Clare Island in the Atlantic Ocean.
We are confident that our programs will appeal to students from a wide range of disciplines – including archaeology, history, anthropology, medieval studies, geology, environmental science, geography, Irish studies etc. – or indeed just students looking for a unique study abroad experience in general. Programs will include third level students of all ages and nationalities. Several cultural trips are provided as part of each program. Together with the option of staying with local families in homestay accommodation, these trips ensure a deeply enriching cultural immersion, guaranteeing students a truly memorable experience.
Visit https://iafs.ie/gallery for pictures/videos of 2018 programs.

ARCHAEOTEK
Bio/Archaeological Techniques and Research Center

We are continuing to make great strides into a new understanding of the development of the Roman frontier populations. Dacia (i.e. modern historical Transylvania) was, arguably, the most important frontier of the Roman Empire: its gold and silver sustained the collapsing imperial economy for two centuries. However, the “imperial idea” on the Eastern European Provincial frontier was more complex than Rome ever expected it… and it even outlasted the idea of Rome itself. Local Roman Provincial realities, born out of economic, cultural, social and political creolization, constant and dynamic negotiation of power, and shifting populations, have outlived the ideological centers that have claimed historical ownership of these regions, creating their own distinct expressions of identity.
Our programs offer a very extensive approach to the anthropology and archaeology of the Roman frontier environments, through field work, laboratory analysis and lectures. Our participants will be able to experience several field approaches, ranging from Classical excavation, anthropological site exploration, traditional STP (shovel test pit), geochemical (phosphate analysis) and geophysical (GPR) survey. Our programs provide an anthropological and scientifically integrated approach to a Classical site, in a very complex environment, in a region fundamentally important to our understanding of European genesis.
Our field archaeological and geophysical programs:
Roman Villa And Settlement Excavation and Survey – Identity and Wealth on the Roman Frontier
Location: Rapolt, Hunedoara County, Transylvania – Romania
Dates:
Session 1: June 9 – June 29, 2019
Session 2: June 30 – July 20, 2019
Session 3: July 21 – August 10, 2019
Team Size: 12-15 participants per session
E-mail: archaeology@archaeotek.org
Description: The integrated results of our various field techniques have yielded extraordinary results: a rural built space of almost one hectare, with massive fortification walls decorated with exterior frescoes, richly built two stories buildings, containing exceptional artifacts (well preserved bronze statues, jewelry, pristine condition coins, writing implements, etc.). Our target excavation, the central building of the “villa” has already presented us with a very complex and surprising occupation sequence and practices. We will continue to explore the way identity is built and negotiated in a very dynamic and rich frontier environment, as well as the development of a “creole” Roman landscape.
Cost: US$ 1395 per session ( includes program fees, lectures, equipment, room and board – see flyer for details; ; not included: travel to and from Rapolt, medical insurance) ).
Web Site: https://www.archaeotek-archaeology.org/roman-villa-excavation

Application Form: https://www.archaeotek-archaeology.org/application-excavation-and-gpr
Applied Field Geophysics Workshop – Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) Applications
Location: Southern Transylvania (Deva region, Hunedoara County), Romania
Workshop Dates:
Session 1: May 26 – June 2, 2019
Session 2: June 2 – June 9, 2019
Session 3: June 9 – June 16, 2019
Session 2: June 16 – June 23, 2019
Session 2: June 23 – June 30, 2019
Team Size: 3 participants
E-mail: archaeology@archaeotek.org
Description: The workshop is designed as an intensive 6-day laboratory and field school in all aspects of ground penetrating radar investigation, from theoretical principles to survey design, field preparation, data collection, in depth analysis, report writing, and podium presentation. Our participants, in 2-3 person teams, will learn the theory and methods involved in GPR exploration in various environments. Our participants will explore a very complex archaeological environment, conducting original research, in a multilayered, target rich environment, ranging in human occupation from pre-Roman to modern periods. They will learn how to manipulate, optimize and analyze in-depth the data collected using SenSoft’s EKKO Project GPR analytical software package, in order to generate professional reports as well as present the research and its results in a scientific manner, in a podium presentation.
Program Fee: US$1085 per session (it includes full room and board as described on the project web page, lectures, training, all field gear, access to analytical software, local transportation to the sites when needed; not included: travel to and from Romania, medical insurance)
Web Site: https://www.archaeotek-archaeology.org/gpr-exploration

Application Form: https://www.archaeotek-archaeology.org/application-excavation-and-gpr
Our programs are available for both credit students and non-credit participants.

Ustica field school
Dates for the Ustica field school are always announced fairly close to the start of the field school (usually the first two weeks in June), so this would suit someone who is traveling to Sicily or Italy anyway and wants to spend an extra two weeks digging on Ustica. The flyer from the 2018 season is attached: Ustica 2018
There is accommodation for up to about ten students, who will spend the morning excavating and the afternoon processing finds. This year, we will be joined by a PhD student who will study the animal remains, and by a recent PhD who will be doing the archaeobotany, and some restauratori. There are a couple of lectures in Italian and one in English and a museum visit. It’s not a fancy dig since, but the site is very rich in material and fun to dig as we uncover more structures. There is great potential for students to do their theses and there is a huge backlog of pottery that still needs to be studied from previous excavations. Brown students would be very welcome!
If you’re interested in joining the dig, please contact:

• Helen Dawson (Berlin): hdawson@zedat.fu-berlin.de
• Francesca Spatafora (Palermo): francesca.spatafora@regione.sicilia.it

The Archaeological Museum of Catalonia-Empúries is organizing the 72nd Empuries Archeaology Course from July 8-28, 2018.
The Port Areas in the Greek Cities

This year’s Empúries Archaeology course coincides with the restarting of archaeological excavation in the Greek city of Emporion. The aim of the planned field work is to continue uncovering the constructions of the city’s port area and, especially, its connection with the natural bay extending to the north which acted as the port itself. Earlier interventions in this sector permitted the recovery of a complex  stratigraphic sequence, illustrating the evolution of the Greek centre as well as other evidence proving the existence of a sanctuary or place of worship lose to the port, as in the case of other Greek cities and colonial outposts.

With the aim of complementing the practical knowledge acquired during excavation, “The port areas of the Greek cities” has been chosen as the monographic subject for this year’s course.  Over several theoretical sessions, as well as through the field work, we propose to study the port installations of Greek cities and particularly to advance in the understanding of the port area of Emporion with a multidisciplinary approach, combining archaeological work with geophysical and geomorphological studies, which are just as necessary for its interpretation.

In the mornings, students will participate in the archaeological excavation work that will be carried out in the Greek city of Empúries, as well as in the work to classify and make an inventory of the material discovered during the excavation. In the afternoons, there will be conferences programmed, as well as visits to the site and museum, work sessions and debates organized about the subject of the course. On Saturdays, several visits are also planned: the Iberian settlement in Ullastret, the sites of the Ciutadella of Roses and Sant Pere de Rodes, the archaeological site of Lattes and village of Agde in France.
The Empúries Archaeology Course is aimed at second cycle university students studying a degree in Archaeology or History, and at Master’s students, preferably with previous experience in archaeological excavation.
Students interested in participating in the course should contact their university’s archaeology department, which will be able to process applications. The course is limited to twenty-six places. For this reason, universities can only propose a single candidate for final selection from among the applicants. The deadline for the application is May 31, 2018.
The students who are finally selected will receive an email by June 8 containing full information (timetable, accommodation, etc)

In the coming weeks the final program of the course will be published together with information about lectures and other activities.

• Date: July 8-28, 2018
• Place: MAC Empúries
• Price: 300€ This price includes accommodation and board during the course, an insurance policy, attendance at practical and theoretical sessions and the planned visits.

Application Form: 72nd Empuries Archaeology Course
MAC-Empúries offers the possibility for two students to be able to obtain a grant to cover the price of the course.
Further informations:
Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya-Empúries
Tel. (+34) 972 77 02 08 | macempuries.cultura@gencat.cat

A second call for applications is now open for the Archaeological School in Abruzzo (Italy)-summer program 2018 of University of Pisa.
The Archaeological Summer School in Abruzzo  is a four-week course offered by the University of Pisa in collaboration with the Soprintendenza  Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio dell’Abruzzo and with the important support of other research centers for the archaeological studies: University of Foggia,  ICCOM-CNR U.O.S. of Pisa and INGV of Rome.
The aim of our course is to increase awareness and competencies about archaeological and methodological issues through an  intensive four weeks program of lectures, laboratory experience and field activity.
The program represent a new approach in studying and understanding ancient civilizations and offers its participants a diachronic (multi-period) approach to the study of archaeology. This year the school gives the opportunity to learn and work in three different excavations sites  where student will gain the skill and a deeper knowledge of the archaeology from the prehistoric to the roman period.

• The school will take place in the area of Fucino (Abruzzo) from July 8th to August 4th 2018.
• The registration deadline is April 30th 2018.
• Each participant will earn 10 undergraduate credits and a certificate of participation through the University of Pisa.
• Costs includes all the school activities, accommodation and meals.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our staff: summerschool.abruzzo@cfs.unipi.it
For more information and to apply visit our:
– official website at:  http://www.cfs.unipi.it/summerschool-abruzzo/
– fb page at: https://www.facebook.com/SummerSchoolAbruzzo/

SAN VALENTINO ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL

The San Valentino Archaeology Field School project offers training  to undergraduate and graduate students interested in the  archaeological research process, from excavation to lab work, guided by a qualified research team from University of Tuscia.
The archaeological area of San Valentino is located on top of a plateau covered by vegetation about 5 km from Soriano nel Cimino, a town characterized by two different inhabitation patterns: a small
medieval center around the castle built by pope Nicholas II Orsini in the 13th century and the extended Renaissance quarters around this first settlement.
The excavation, under the scientific direction of professor Elisabetta De Minicis of University of Tuscia, brought to light a significant church dedicated to Saint Valentine and dated to the 11th century
AD, perhaps built over a much earlier structure, surrounded by a large cemeterial area and a probable settlement completely forgotten by the historical record. In addition, also ancient Roman and medieval agricultural structures (for wine production) begin to emerge from the area close to the excavated areas.
The 2018 campaign, which will take place from June 15th to July 16th, aims at uncovering the entire cemeterial area and identifying the other structures close to the ecclesiastic building. During the project students will stay at the four-star hotel with swimming pool “Hotel dell’Eremo” in a double room and will be taken to and from the excavation site by a private driver. During weekdays breakfast and dinner will be served at the hotel, while lunch (always served by a local restaurant) will be brought on the excavation site. Tuition also covers breakfast and dinner during weekends. All meals will be prepared by local chefs and will therefore constitute an opportunity for students to enjoy and learn about Italian cuisine. In addition to a thorough field training on all the steps of the excavation process, also an Italian language course will be offered to international students. The program also includes weekend trips to Rome, Viterbo and the surrounding territories. Students are left free on Sunday.
At the end of the four-week experience University of Tuscia will issue a certificate of attendance.
In order to join the San Valentino Archaeology Field School, students must submit the application form by May 15th, attaching also their proof of international health and safety coverage and
the copy of a valid passport. Previous fieldwork experiences and knowledge of Italian are not mandatory requirements to apply.
The entire cost of tuition including a four week stay in a four-star hotel, food for the entire period of stay (excluded weekend lunches), transport to and from the airport, trips to Rome and Viterbo (transport, museum tickets and tour guide included), Italian language course, mentoring in English for the entire length of the fieldwork experience, transportation to and from the excavation site, is of $4.500. Once the student receives the email of acceptance, he is required to pay within 15 days a non-refundable deposit of $500 and to pay the remaining $4.000 of tuition by June 7th.
Apply to coop.ilcamaleonte@libero.it by May 15th.
The application form and more information are available on the
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/San-Valentino-Archaeology-Project-1893641064216925/
For further information feel free to write to  alba_serino@alumni.brown.edu.

Spots still available for the 2018 PIARA Archaeological Field School at Hualcayán, Peru!

www.piaraperu.org/fieldschool
PIARA offers an exciting field school course, Analytical Methods in Archaeology, where students focus their studies on a particular analytical specialty in addition to gaining experience in fundamental field and laboratory skills while working and living in highland Peru.
In 2018, students will excavate monumental tombs and ritual spaces at Hualcayán, then focus their studies on one of the following methodological concentrations: Bioarchaeology or Artifact Analysis. Students will also participate in supplementary training in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and 3D Photogrammetry. Students who participate in the field school will thus not only learn the essential skills required of field archaeologists (mapping, excavation, artifact processing, etc.), but also gain exposure to a range of specialized methods that are shaping innovations in the field today. Students will also learn about the site’s 4000 year span of prehistoric Andean culture (2400 BC–AD 1450).
During the field school, student participants will live and work with the rural, bilingual Quechua/Spanish-speaking community of Hualcayán, which facilitates an important component of the field school: learning to ethically and respectfully conduct research on the remains of other people’s heritage through community collaboration. Students will spend at least one full day contributing to a community-designated project, and daily work will occur alongside both young adults from Hualcayán and Peruvian university students. The result is a robust intercultural learning experience for all project participants.
Hualcayán is located in the spectacular Andean highlands of Ancash, Peru, nestled below the glaciated peaks of the Cordillera Blanca mountain range. As part of the field school, students will travel to important archaeological sites and museums in three cities and visit stunning natural features likes high altitude lagoons and glaciers. Six course credits will be offered by the Universidad Nacional de Ancash – Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo (UNASAM).
Students may choose one of two sessions:
Session 1: June 25 – July 23, 2018 (near capacity)
Session 2: July 24 – August 21, 2018 (still available)
For complete information, or to apply, visit the PIARA website (www.piaraperu.org) or email us at piaraperu@gmail.com.
Rebecca Bria, PIARA director

Megiddo is the jewel in the crown of biblical archaeology. Strategically perched above the most important land route in the ancient Near East, the city dominated international traffic for over 6,000 years — from ca. 7,000 B.C.E. through to biblical times. As civilizations came and went, succeeding settlements at ancient Megiddo were built on the ruins of their predecessors, creating a multi-layered archaeological legacy that abounds in unparalleled treasures that include monumental temples, lavish palaces, mighty fortifications, and remarkably-engineered water systems.
Goals of the Tel Aviv renewed excavations at Megiddo:

• Recheck stratigraphy and chronology and strengthen the role of Megiddo as the key site for deciphering the history and culture of the Bronze and Iron Ages in the Levant and beyond
• Re-investigate monuments exposed in the past: their date and cultural affiliation
• Make Megiddo a laboratory for advancing new methods and techniques, especially those related to the exact and life sciences, such as physics-related dating methods, ancient DNA and geo-archaeology.

Plans for the Season of 2018:

We will be working in several excavation areas across the tel and will continue work on various projects, including:
The Middle Bronze City
Ongoing excavation exposing Middle Bronze Age remains has recently produced exciting ancient DNA results. The recovery and analysis of this type of data is one example of the robust scientific program undertaken by the Megiddo Expedition. The ancient DNA results shed new light on the population of Canaan in the second millennium BCE.
The Fortifications and Gates of Megiddo
We will undertake work in the gate area of Megiddo, including at the celebrated “Solomon’s Gate” – one of the great symbols of the archaeology of ancient Israel in biblical times.
Treasures of the Bronze Age
In 2016, we uncovered a royal Bronze Age tomb at Megiddo. This undisturbed tomb yielded rich finds, including gold and silver jewelry and decorated ivories. We wish to check the possibility of other elaborate tombs in its vicinity and to better understand the relationship between the tomb(s) and surrounding buildings, including the nearby palace, unearthed in the 1930s.
Remembering King Josiah
In the northwestern part of the tel, work has uncovered later phases of the Iron Age, including a 7th century BCE layer which produced finds that may be related to the biblical verses regarding the killing of King Josiah of Judah at Megiddo in 609 BCE. Excavation will continue here, with the goal of better understand the life and times of Megiddo at the end of the Iron Age.
Participants excavating at Megiddo have the unique, unparalleled advantage of dealing with different phases of the Bronze and Iron Ages in parallel, in one site.

Visit the Megiddo Expedition website here
Apply for the 2018 season here