Archaeological Digs

2010-01-07T07:46:00.000-08:00

See the latest dig postings, including archaeological tours and archaeological job opportunities, by scrolling down below. New dig opportunities for 2010 are now beginning to be posted! See below and stay connected!

Are you a professional archaeologist, student, volunteer, or avocational archaeologist? Build a network of personally and professionally enhancing relationships by joining ArchaeologyNet, a new business-oriented social network for archaeology.

There are archaeological digs and research activities being conducted all over the world. Many archaeological digs are conducted during the summer months; however, some are ongoing throughout the year, and some are being conducted even during the winter months in parts of the world where the climate is favorable. This weblog serves as a gateway to up-to-date information about current archaeological digs, dinosaur digs, archaeological travel tours, and archaeological job opportunities throughout the world. It also features special postings highlighting specific archaeological digs, and other links related to archaeology and archaeological digs.

Archaeological Digs 2010

2010-01-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

Here are the best listings online with links to detailed information about archaeological digs and field school opportunities for 2010, and see the specially featured digs by scrolling below. Return regularly, as the lists continue to expand with new opportunities:

1. AIA Fieldwork Opportunities Online
2. Past Horizons
3. Archaeological Digs with Earthwatch
4. Biblical Archaeology Society
5. Archaeologyfieldwork.com
6. Passport in Time
7. Shovelbums Archaeology Field School Directory

Specially Featured Digs:

1. Uncovering the Glories of Hippos
2. Saving Rome: The Villa delle Vignacce Field School
3. Tel Dor: Archaeological Riches by the Sea
4. Solving the Mysteries of Achill
5. Digging Megiddo
6. Investigating Food and Drink in Ancient Pompeii
7. Uncovering the Kingdom of Tambora
8. Excavating Tall el-Hammam

You have the desire but not the money? This is how you can finance your digs and tours with a proven work-from-home business. Click here to learn more.

Interested in posting your project as a special feature? Contact pdmclerran@yahoo.com

Read about the events and latest discoveries on an archaeological dig by going to the online account of the excavation season for the ancient biblical city of Bethsaida.

Read about an exciting new vision for conducting archaeological research at the El Pilar Blog.

Archaeological Tours

2010-01-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

Not interested in digging right now, but you enjoy things archaeological? Here are some sources for great archaeological travel tours:

1. Archaeological Institute of America Tours
2. Archaeological Tours
3. Explorations
4. Mayatour
5. Far Horizons
6. International Expeditions
7. iExplore
8. Chevvy Tours LLC
9. Gecko's Grassroots Adventures
10.Geographic Expeditions
11.Human Evolution, Culture & Wildlife Safari
12.Peter Sommer Travels
13.Beyond Touring
14.Tutku Tours
15.Voyages to Antiquity

Special Featured Tours:

Peter Sommer Travels: Exploring Ancient Turkey by Land and Sea
Beyond Touring: Touring with a Purpose in Belize

You can earn thousands from home to finance your travels through this travel-related business opportunity: The Travel Ventures International Global Assist Team

Uncovering the Glories of Hippos

2010-01-07T06:01:00.000-08:00

The relatively small area of this little city detracts nothing from the impressive architectural remains one beholds as the casual observer traverses its ancient streets. "Monumental" is the best word that comes to mind when describing this fortified Hellenistic-Roman style space and its commanding view of the surrounding countryside.

Known as the ancient city of Hippos-Sussita, it is located on the east shore of the Sea of Galilee, on top of a flat, diamond shaped mountain, 350 m above the lake. Sussita, or as it was known by its Greek name, Antiochia-Hippos, was founded after 200 BC, when the Seleucids seized the Land of Israel from the Ptolemies. During the Roman Period Hippos belonged to the Decapolis, a group of ten cities which were regarded as centers of Greek culture in an area predominantly populated by Semitic peoples such as Jews, Aramaeans, Ituraeans, and Nabataeans.The cities of the Decapolis had much in common. Most were founded during the Hellenistic period and were given the encouragement and support of the Seleucid kings, who saw them as a counterweight to the kingdoms that lay to the west (the Hasmonaean Kingdom of Judaea) and to the east (the Nabataean kingdom). Most of the population in the cities was Hellenised and the citizens saw themselves as citizens of a polis in every respect.

The Project

The research of Hippos-Sussita is an international Israeli-Polish-American project collaboration co-directed by: Professors Arthur Segal and Michael Eisenberg from the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa; Professor Jolanta Mlynarczyk from the Research Centre for Mediterranean Archaeology, Polish Academy of Sciences; Dr. Mariusz Burdajewicz of the National Museum, Warsaw; and Professor Mark Schuler from Concordia University, St Paul, USA. The objective of the expedition is to uncover the entire ancient city, the street network, the main public secular and religious buildings, as well as the domestic quarters. The expedition also hopes to survey and excavate the two necropoleis located to the south and south-east of the city. The relationship between the city and the surrounding countryside will also be examined in future seasons, especially the area stretching between the city and the lake. Further, they plan to conduct a detailed survey of the lake's shore to establish the exact location of Hippos' port.

The 2010 Goals

During the summer of 2010 (July 4 --July 31), the team plans to excavate and investigate the:

Early Roman Period Basilica;
Early Roman Period Odeion;
Insula by the North-East Church (including preservation work);
Roman-Byzantine Bath located between the Forum and southern city wall;

The expedition also plans to continue preservation treatment of all of the sites that have been exposed thus far.

The project directors are inviting students and volunteers from all over the world to come join them in this exciting long-term expedition. If you are interested, go to http://hippos.haifa.ac.il for more detailed information and to find out how to apply.

Saving Rome: The Villa delle Vignacce Summer Field School

2009-12-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

Can You See Yourself Saving Rome?

By "saving" one means uncovering and preserving its ancient remains, of course. Program Director Dr. Darius A. Arya and Co-Directors Dr. Dora Cirone and Dr. Albert Prieto of the American Institute for Roman Culture Summer Archaeology Field School will be conducting a six week intensive field school in Roman archaeology. The field school will be conducted from June 19, 2010 through July 31, 2010 and offers students a unique combination of 5 weeks of on-site field work and one week of specialized academic instruction by expert archaeologists and institute professors. As the program centers in Rome, there will also be visits to major Roman museums and open-air sites to augment field studies and to provide participants with a broader context of what life was like in Ancient Rome.

Participants will be given the opportunity to develop their archaeological techniques at the ongoing excavation and preservation of an important Roman site, the Villa delle Vignacce (a large Roman villa). In its fifth season of exploration, students will work with professional archaeologists to explore and preserve an important second century AD villa located within Rome’s famed Park of the Aqueducts. During the previous season, the excavation team's efforts were highlighted by the discovery of impressive statuary and marble veneer decoration. Among the finds was a 1.5 long marble statue of Marsyas, discovered resting horizontally on mosaic pavement, still attached to it's marble tree brace. According to a well-known Roman myth, Marsyas challenged Apollo to a music contest, lost, and as punishment was bound to a tree and flailed alive. The statue that was discovered depicts Marsyas in the midst of this punishment.

The 2010 Field School

This summer, field school excavations will continue to uncover more of Ville delle Vignacce’s imperial bath complex, while working to examine and preserve the caldarium, latrine and an apodyterium with marble veneer and glass paste mosaics and vaulting discovered during previous field seasons. As a large and expanding project, the Ville delle Vignacce investigations are proving to be one of the city’s most exciting new excavations and has recently garnered international press attention as one of Ancient Rome’s “At Risk” archaeological sites, threatened as the result of previous neglect and vandalism.

Participants will also explore both the urban development and the material culture of Rome from the 1st- 6th century A.D., investigating in detail many diverse aspects of Ancient Roman civilization. Through the examination of material evidence, so abundant in Lazio, program participants will have ample opportunity to learn from archaeological evidence as well as the many historical monuments and world heritage sites located in the area. Through this field school, participants will:

Learn the importance of archaeological record-keeping, including the proper methodology of conducting excavations, archaeological drawing, note-taking, and identifying, organizing and cataloging finds;
Become familiar with a variety of Roman artifacts and building techniques and materials, and learn how to "read" art, architecture, and other vestiges of material culture;
Learn more about ancient Rome and its archaeological record; and
Learn more about historic preservation.

This season's program aims to provide participants with both a chronological and diachronic approach to the study of Roman civilization. In this way, students will gain a comprehensive historical and cultural perspective of Roman civilization, and an understanding of and appreciation for how its cultural values influenced the entire western world up to the present day.

Pl:

All prospective student participants and volunteers are encouraged to go to the website for additional information about the opportunity and how to apply. Saving Rome couldn't be more fun and exciting!

Tel Dor: Archaeological Riches by the Sea

2009-12-05T06:59:00.000-08:00

About 30 kilometers directly south of Haifa, Israel, lies a very large tel (an earth mound containing ancient architectural and artifact remains) that tells a story crossing at least eight civilizations. The story is largely a commercial one, as the ancient seaport city of Dor on the Mediterranean coast of present day Israel was host to the trading activities of a number of civilizations or cultures that ringed the Mediterranean world in ancient times. Once a Canaanite city, its history spans settlement or rule by "Sea Peoples", Phoenicians, the Solomonic monarchy, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Finally, in the thirteenth century A.D., a Crusader castle was built on the site. Few sites of the ancient world can boast a settlement history more varied and complex than this.

The 2010 Excavation Season

From July 6 to August 12, excavations will resume at Dor under the direction of Ilan Sharon (the Hebrew University) and Ayelet Gilboa (Haifa University). The areas under investigation consist of an elite Iron Age I section that includes a large complex (possibly a palace or administrative building); further evidence of early Iron Age destruction; the Hellenistic city and large Iron Age Phoenician public structures; and other Persian and Iron Age layers, which include remnants of an Assyrian fort. Work will include the analysis of finds and stratigraphy at the site museum. The season is divided into two equal sessions or halves and will afford students and volunteers the opportunity to participate in all facets of state-of-the-art field archaeology. This will include excavation, digital registration of architecture and artifacts using advanced graphics and database software, sampling and analysis of deposits, analysis of finds and stratigraphy, and site conservation. Participants may arrange for academic credit (formal field school instruction) through the Rothberg International School of the Hebrew University. Students in this program will receive academic instruction in archaeological field methods and theory, the processing and analysis of material excavated each day, and afternoon lectures on archaeology, history, and specialized studies of the site and region.

There is no doubt that the Tel Dor excavation is considered to be one of the most exciting excavations in this part of the world, as history and archaeology at this location are exceptionally rich and the location boasts beautiful views of the bay and ocean!

Join The Team

Don't just read about history. Help make a difference -- feel it, discover it, and make it a part of you. You can learn more about the project and the application procedure by going to the website at http://dor.huji.ac.il/.

Contact Information:

eblochsm@sju.edu, or
bloch-smith@msn.com

Solving the Mysteries of Achill

2009-10-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

It is a comparatively stark, yet rugged and beautiful landscape, totally surrounded by water. Long a tourist destination off the west coast of Ireland, Achill Island harbors some fascinating archaeological sites. Recent research has focused on ancient and historical remains that characterize the significance of Achill's highest peak, Slievemore Mountain, dominating it's surrounding environs at 2,214 feet. Human occupation is evidenced here going back over 5,000 years, to Ireland's Neolithic period. It's southern and eastern slopes are dotted by a series of megalithic tombs and curvilinear field walls. Toward the western end of the mountain are a series of Bronze Age stone platforms and roundhouses. On a lower slope location lie the remains of a historical settlement known as the Deserted Village of Slievemore, an assortment of rectangular houses of dry stone construction. Like an Irish ghost town, it is thought that these haunting yet fascinating remains testify to a traumatic period in the island's history. Continuing archaeological investigation and documentation will shed further light on this in years ahead.

In the summer of 2010, archaeological research on Achill Island will continue under the auspices of the Achill Archaeological Field School, a well-known and highly regarded field school that has, since 1991, trained thousands of students from all over the world. Investigations will focus on three sites: Round House 2 on Slievemore; a late Medieval house at Keem Bay; and a hut at Annagh Booley Village. Round House 2, a Bronze Age site, consists of a circular platform and a substantial dry stone wall and elaborate orthostatic entrance. Was it used for domestic or ritual purposes? Answering that question is a primary objective of the excavation. Excavations of the house at Keem Bay is expected to reveal more about the age and nature of the structure, and help solve the mystery behind the abandoned village of which it was a part. The village settlement is known to have been occupied as late as the early 19th century.

JOIN THE RESEARCH

Are you interested in making a difference in the research and gaining quality, hands-on training in archaeological field work? You can do this by going first to the Achill Archaeological Field School website to learn more about the work, the opportunity, and how to apply. Students obtain credit for the program through the National University of Ireland, Galway, and the coursework includes practical training in excavation methodology, artifact identification, surveying, measured drawings, sampling and analysis, and recording archaeological and architectural features. The field school experience aside, the natural island beauty and the unique cultural taste of the area alone are well worth the trip!

Digging Megiddo: The Archaeological Jewel of the Ancient Near East

2009-10-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

When James Michener wrote his famous bestselling novel about an archaeological excavation, The Source, he had one true-life excavation in mind as his source of inspiration -- the landmark work that was taking place at Tel Megiddo. Reality trumps fiction at this imposing mound in the Jezreel Valley of Israel. Occupying a highly strategic spot along the critical north-south military and trade route that linked Egypt in the south with Syria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia in the north and east, it's location played host to epic battles and ancient successive occupying powers.

Megiddo's rise to prominence began in the late 4th century, B.C., as arguably the most powerful Canaanite city-state in Northern Canaan. Recognizing it as a prospective and important strategic addition to his expanding empire, the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III led a campaign to acquire it with military force, defeating the Canaanite army there and establishing it as an Egyptian province. It is the earliest known recorded descriptive account of a major war in antiquity. Megiddo fell again to other succeeding military powers, including Joshua of the Biblical account, the Egyptian Pharaoh Shishak, the Assyrian King Tiglath-pileser III, and, again from Egypt, Pharaoh Necho. According to the Biblical record, Solomon re-built Megiddo and made it the center of one of his royal provinces of the United Monarchy. It is now, as Michener related about his fictitious excavation site in The Source, an ancient layer cake of civilizations going back in time to the first attempts at urban living in this part of the world. This ancient layer cake has been the subject of systematic excavations and study since 1903, when the first series of excavations were carried out under Gottlieb Schumacher of the German Society for Oriental Research.

During the summer of 2010, Directors Israel Finkelstein and David Ussishkin of Tel Aviv University, along with Eric Cline of the George Washington University, will continue excavations of the Tel. They are calling for a team of volunteers and students to help them uncover more of the site and to assist them in their ongoing analysis of the finds and features recovered from the excavation. The effort will be organized in two sessions: June 12 -- July 1; and July 3 to July 29. All participants will have the option to register for college credit coursework designed specifically to draw from the special activities and environment connected to Megiddo. The first course covers Megiddo and the archaeology of Israel, the second, methods and techniques of field archaeology, and the third, the connections between the Aegean and the Levant during the Bronze and early Iron ages. Each course is worth 3 credit hours. For participants who would be attending the excavations solely as volunteers, there are certain lectures that still must be attended in order to learn how to handle finds properly.

If you are interested in learning more about the Megiddo excavations, the coursework and how to apply, more detailed information can be found at the website.

Investigating Food and Drink of Ancient Pompeii

2009-09-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Most everyone has heard or read of the cataclysmic 79 A.D. volcanic destruction of ancient Pompeii. Because of the unique preservative effects of it's horrific burial, that ill-fated city has left a legacy of a civilization frozen in time, revealing structures, artifacts, human remains, and infrastructure features equaled in detail by few other ancient sites. Perhaps no other site has been documented as prolifically as this one. As much as we already know about Pompeii, however, there is still much more to discover, many questions left to be answered. The daily life-ways and styles of this ancient people continue to be a subject of intense scrutiny. During the summer of 2010, a team of scholars, students and volunteers will contribute to this undertaking by conducting a detailed investigation of selected areas, features and structures with an eye toward shedding light on where, how, why, when and what these ancient Romans ate and drank. They will measure, photograph, record, draw, and analyze. The investigation will be totally non-intrusive. No excavation will be conducted.

Joining the Team

Activities will be organized into three one-week sessions:

June 20 -- June 26
June 27 -- July 3
July 4 -- July10

Generally, volunteers and students may participate in one, two, or all three sessions; however, new volunteers must participate for a minimum of two weeks. Participants will stay in a small, family-run hotel with air-conditioned rooms, eating facilities, and a swimming pool. As part of the experience, participants will attend a series of lectures about the history and geography of Pompeii, as well as a guided walk of the city. A series of other lectures will be offered during the mornings and evenings on a host of other topics related to the culture, finds, and other subject areas. Each week the group will be taken to the Antiquarium di Boscoreale, a museum exhibiting the artifacts of Pompeii. Most importantly, team participants will be instructed in all methods and skills needed to conduct the vital data collection that will take place during the expedition.

This project will afford an excellent opportunity for student and volunteer alike to acquire new skills and an intense education in ancient Roman life and archaeology. If interested, see the website for detailed information about the expedition and how to apply.

Up From the Ashes: Uncovering the Kingdom of Tambora

2009-09-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

In April of 1815, the largest volcanic eruption in recorded modern history made it's mark on the world with a vengeance. Mt. Tambora, on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, exploded with such an explosive force that it's atmospheric effects influenced weather patterns across faraway Europe and North America. In one evening alone, it destroyed at least one entire kingdom of people on this ill-fated island. Like the city of Pompeii of ancient Rome, the cultural and human remains of this civilization are now being meticulously revealed under the careful and systematic investigation of archaeologists. House structures, artifacts, human skeletal remains, all are emerging to paint a picture of a people long forgotten in ashes.

Excavations

From June 20 to July 3, 2010, Dr. M. Geria of the Bali Institute for Archaeology will be leading the instruction of archaeological excavations at a site where it is estimated that a community of approximately 10,000 people lived. House structures and artifacts have already been excavated, but a team will continue the progress next summer by continuing and expanding the current work to expose more of what remains of a little-known civilization that was, like Pompeii and Herculaneum of ancient Rome, frozen in an instant of time and place. Who were these people and how did they live? What stories will their bones and artifacts say about them and the world in which they lived in early 19th century Indonesia? Volunteers, students, and archaeologists are invited to join the team to help shed more light on this mystery. Participants will lodge in a nearby guesthouse or, optionally, may camp near the excavation site in tents. When not working, participants will have the opportunity to explore the area, which may include the beautiful beaches, a short boat trip to Satonda Island, a climb to the summit of Mt Tambora, or hikes in the vicinity of the dig. Team members will work with local archaeologists and, through their cash contribution for dig participation, will learn archaeological excavation, recording and investigative techniques, along with knowing the satisfaction of helping to finance the needs of the local archaeologists and community.

Join the Team!

Looking for an adventure? If interested, write to travel4pros_indonesia@yahoo.com for more information and how to apply. You may also visit the website here for more detailed information.

Excavating Tall el Hammam

2009-08-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Approximately 14 kilometers northeast of the Dead Sea, in the southern Jordan River Valley, lies a very large, imposing tall (mound). Surveys and recent excavations have revealed that the tall consists of a long history of human occupation dating back from Islamic through to the Neolithic period. Sometimes referred to as the "Queen of the Southern Jordan Valley", it is the largest of a group of ancient sites that collectively dot this fertile, agriculturally developed valley. Located astride ancient trade routes and water sources, along with a commanding view of the area identified by a number of scholars as the Jordan Plain, it is no small wonder that the site evidences remains of a major ancient city. Archaeological investigations have shown that the site is outlined by a 4-meter thick wall dating originally to the Early Bronze Age, with mudbrick and packed-earth ramparts, including, on the top of the tall, monumental ruins of the Iron Age II and III periods that are also surrounded by 3-meter-thick city walls.

An intriguing possibility highlights the fascination surrounding the excavations of this site: One may recall the Old Testament story that comes to mind about Lot and the infamous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their actual locations on the archaeological landscape have long been the subject of scholarly debate. Some scholars are suggesting that the textual and archaeological evidence may indeed support the hypothesis that the remains of Tall el Hammam represent the remnants of the ancient city of Sodom. Time and further research and excavation may shed more light. Whether the emerging evidence points for or against, however, is an aside to the valuable information that will be collected from this site about the role and influence of this major ancient city on the surrounding socio-economic and cultural environment, and the lifeways of the people who inhabited this location for thousands of years.

The fifth season of excavations will run from December 10, 2009 through January 29, 2010. The Tall el Hammam Excavation Project is inviting volunteers to join the team this winter to uncover more of the mysteries that lie beneath. Besides the excavation itself, this dig promises daytime temperatures ranging from 50 to 75 degrees, making the air clearer and cleaner than at any other time of the year (not to mention great working temperature), along with accommodations at a fabulous resort and spa near the shores of the Dead Sea. These excavators are pampered for their hard work! You can read more about this fascinating project and how to join by going to the website here.

Excavating Ancient Tiberias

2009-06-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Like a great jewel, the modern city of Tiberias rises on the slopes hugging the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is, among other things, a popular resort destination in Israel. But not far from its shops and hotels lies another Tiberias......an ancient one. In about 20 C.E., Herod Antipas saw this location as a seat of power and established Tiberias as a governing center and a city of prominence. In addition to its association with a region where Jesus walked, taught and performed his many miracles, it became a center of Jewish political and spiritual leadership. Here, the Sanhedrin sat. Here also, the Talmud was compiled and edited. In the Byzantine period, it drew thousands of Christian pilgrims and during the time following the Arab conquest it served as the capital of northern Palestine. Needless to say, its ancient political, spiritual, and attendant economic significance endows the location with archaeological treasures yet to be unearthed. Add to this the fact that the ancient site has been relatively unaffected by later construction, and you have a site that promises incredible potential for new archaeological discoveries.

Excavations began in March 2009 on a colonnaded structure in the heart of the ancient city, partially excavated in the 1950’s by B. Ravani and later by Y. Hirschfeld. The building, which was originally interpreted as a covered market, has recently been restudied by Dr. Cytryn-Silverman, who suggests that the structure is not a market, but rather a congregational mosque dating from the Early Islamic period. The main focus of the March season was to excavate squares in and adjacent to the colonnaded building, defining its phases, dating and architecture. Initial data was retrieved during the season, prompting further research questions dealing with the building, its phases and its urban context. These questions will be the focus of the work in the October-November season. Special finds from the first season include: a mosaic floor, an Arabic inscription, complete oil lamps and hundreds of coins. The current research aims to utilize information from past excavations along with meticulous field work in order to study the urban phases and layout.

The expedition will be housed at the Aviv Hotel, a 10 minute walk from the site along the promenade of the Sea of Galilee, and a five minute walk from the city center of modern Tiberias. All rooms have a private bathroom, TV, air-conditioning and a balcony. Single and double rooms are available ($500-$400). Camping options are also available. Check-in to the hotel is on Saturday evening, and check-out is on Thursday afternoon. Fees include meals from Sunday breakfast through Thursday dinner, as well as all lectures and field trips to nearby sites. Minimum participation is one work week, and student discounts are available.

If you are interested in participating with Dr. Silverman in this exciting new research as part of the team, please contact: tiberiasexcavation@yahoo.com

The Copped Hall Trust Archaeological Project

2009-05-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

The name of Copped Hall first appears in a document of 1258 but the family named in the document, the Fitzauchers, who were the King’s huntsmen, had been granted land in the vicinity in 1165. Waltham Abbey bought the Hall in 1350 and held it until 1534, when it passed to the Crown. Mary Tudor (the future Queen Mary) lived here and celebrated the Catholic mass under her Protestant brother’s rule. Queen Elizabeth I granted the manor to her Chancellor, Sir Thomas Heneage, in 1564, who immediately started rebuilding it to create a Tudor grand-house. Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream may have had its first performance at Heneage’s wedding festivities here in 1594. Later it was home to Lionel Cranfield, a Lord High Treasurer of England under James I who was condemned by Parliament for ‘bribery, extortion, oppression and other grievous misdemeanours’. But the Tudor grand-house at Copped Hall – save for some ‘romantic ruins’ – was demolished in the mid-18th century and replaced by a new mansion 250 metres to the south-east. This in turn was gutted by fire in 1917 and stood ruinous for much of the 20th century. In 1995, the Copped Hall Trust succeeded in saving what remained of this mansion and its gardens from the attentions of a variety of developers, authorities and vandals and has since been working to restore them to their original condition.

The Copped Hall Trust Archaeological Project (CHTAP) was set up, with the support of the West Essex Archaeological Group (WEAG), to investigate the remains of the Tudor grand-house. In previous seasons, an intriguing sequence of brick walls and foundations overlain by the landscaped gardens of the 18th century house has been uncovered. The excavations will continue in 2009.

The 5-day Training Dig, for beginners only, will be held in the week starting Monday 10th August. Participants will learn about: tools and their use; excavation methods; archaeological surveying; written and drawn recording; finds and finds processing. Talks will be given on related subjects but most of the instruction will be “hands on” and in the context of actual excavation. A special bonus is the architect’s tour of the 18th century mansion, which is currently being restored, although much of the original framework is still visible.

The 5-day Field School, for people already familiar with the basic techniques of archaeological excavation and recording, will start on Monday 17th August. A small number of places may be available for those who have attended the first week’s training dig but priority will be given to more experienced diggers who are keen to develop their existing skills under expert supervision and those returning to Copped Hall from previous years’ digs. No formal teaching sessions are planned for this week, but for those interested there are likely to be opportunities to take part in a geophysical survey, photographic recording and environmental archaeology.

Instruction and supervision will be given by professional archaeologists, who know the site very well, assisted by highly experienced volunteers. The directors will be Christina Holloway and Lee Joyce. John Shepherd is consultant to the project. Attendance certificates will be awarded at the end of the course. Costs will be £140 for the training dig week (WEAG members £130); £90 for the field school week (WEAG £80). Tea/coffee/water will be provided, as will all tools except a digging trowel, but you will need to bring your own packed lunch.

Accommodation will not be made available at Copped Hall but details of nearby B&B/hotel/hostel/camping accommodation can be supplied. The site is just off the M25 and easily accessible by car or bicycle. Though not directly on any public-transport route, a taxi firm operates a service from Epping Station on the London underground Central Line.

If you wish to come, please fill in the attached form and return it to Mrs Pauline Dalton, Roseleigh, Epping Road, Epping, Essex, CM16 5HW. For some further information see www.coppedhalltrust.org.uk or www.weag.org.uk or phone Mrs Dalton on 01992-813-725, or email pmd2@ukonline.co.uk

The Vratsata Project: Uncovering a Major Early Thracian Settlement

2009-04-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

The ancient Thracians first enter the known historical record through Homer's Illiad, where they are described as allies of the Trojans. More recently, they have become known in popular accounts as the creators of strikingly beautiful and elaborately crafted gold and silver artifacts that have come to light through a number of excavations in the Balkans. The Thracians are important for far more than ancient treasures, however. Dr. Nartis Torbov of the Vratsa Historical Museum is leading an investigation of a site that may, according to his thesis, reveal much more about these ancient peoples and may, indeed, prove to be an important Thracian capital city with a settlement history going back 2,800 years. Known as Vratsata, he believes the site could yield evidence for the capital of the Tribali tribe, where generations of Thracian rulers lived. Research thus far has uncovered a citadel with a pentagonal layout. Materials found here have traced out four historical periods:

Thracians (5th - 1st century BC)
Roman period (1st - 3rd century AD)
Late Antique (4th - 6th century AD)
Medieval period (12th - 13th century AD)

>The Field School

Dr. Torbov is inviting volunteers and students from all over the world to join him and his team in this exciting, ground-breaking expedition of discovery. In association with the Vratsa Historical Museum, he is offering a formal field school that will teach, through practical hands-on activities, the methodology of systematic archaeological excavation and recording. The Field School will include a variety of related lectures and field trips to interesting historical and cultural points of interest in Bulgaria, including a stay in Sofia, the capital city.

The Field School begins June 1st and ends on June 28th. Participants may attend one or both 15-day sessions that make up the total field season. Accommodations are provided in a three star hotel in the town of Vratsa in shared double rooms with bathrooms, hot and cold running water, and TV. Meals include early morning breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the hotel. The food will be traditional Bulgarian. The project will supply all basic equipment needed.

For more information about this opportunity, go to the website at www.vratsata.archbg.net. The website includes information about how to apply. The application deadline is May 31, 2009.

Conbustica: Excavating a Roman Military Fort

2009-04-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

By the first century A.D., the Romans had expanded their imperial reach into the eastern Balkans of present-day Europe. Among the many forts and towns they established in the region was the impressive fort of Conbustica, located in the northwest region of modern-day Bulgaria. The fort, situated on a plateau overlooking two major river valleys, was strategically positioned on the main road through the Roman province of Moesia. Conbustica is recorded on the Peutingerian Table, a schematic first-century A.D. map of the Roman world.

The Excavations

Over the years, excavations at the hilltop fort have revealed a classic model of Roman defensive architecture. The walls of the rhomboid-shaped fort were massive, with stone foundations measuring over six feet high and five feet wide. The wall's earthen superstructure is preserved to a height of four feet in some places. Inside the fort, archaeologists have found a range of artifacts that reveal the daily life of the soldiers who dwelt inside, including bronze artifacts, imported pottery and two unique bronze fibulae (ancient brooches used to fasten clothing). This season, excavation director Krassimira Luka, in conjunction with the Bulgarian Archaeological Association, will continue to excavate the camp's fortifications, but will also explore the site's pottery kilns and workshops.

The Field School

Volunteers and students are invited to join the team by participating this summer in the 2009 Field School. The training will afford students the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills in systematic survey and stratigraphic excavation techniques, including mapping of excavated features. The training will also inlcude plan and section drawing, archaeological drafting, laboratory processing and documentation of excavated material. In addition to the skills training, participants will attend formal and informal lectures throughout the dig period on a variety of topics related to the archaeological experience.

Team members will stay two-to-a room in a hotel in the nearby town of Belogradchik. Hotel amenities include private bathrooms, hot water, TV and internet access.

Does this sound interesting to you? Find out more about the project, program costs, and application procedures by going to the website at www.cambustica.archbg.net.

The Edom Lowlands Regional Archaeology Project

2009-04-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

This year, a team from the University of California, San Diego will excavate and survey in the Hashemite Kingdom of

Jordan's Faynan district, 50 km south of the Dead Sea. Faynan, located near the beautiful Dana UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is home to one of the world’s best preserved ancient mining and metallurgy districts. Since 1997, UC San Diego has worked closely with the Department of Antiquities of

Jordan

on a deep-time, nine thousand year long, study of the role of mining and metallurgy on cultural evolution – from the Neolithic period to Islamic times. Known as the Edom Lowlands Regional Archaeology Project or ELRAP, its 2009 season will be devoted to excavating one of the largest Iron Age (ca. 1200 – 900 BCE) copper production sites in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Called Khirbat en-Nahas (Arabic, means ‘Ruins of Copper’), the site was the center of the earliest industrial scale metal production in the area and dates to the Biblical period. Excavations will focus on exploring some of the earliest metal production layers and administrative buildings at the site. In addition, the team will explore mines, and survey for hidden fortresses. The ELRAP project is special because it is at the center of using a high-tech on-site GIS digital archaeology system. Students gain extensive experience not only participating in archaeological survey and excavation, but also mastering an array of digital survey and recording tools. There is also a strong daily field laboratory component where students work in labs including ceramics, zooarchaeology, archaeometallurgy, lithics, digital photography, GIS and more. Local field trips, weekend trips and a special 3-day visit to the spectacular site of Petra – the Rose Red City - will take place. Petra was recently voted one of the new 7 wonders of the world and the team will spend three days visiting the area.

Are you interested in joining the team? Find out more by going to the website at www.anthro.ucsd.edu/~tlevy/index_files/Edom.htm.

Wenas Creek: Life in 16,000 B.P.

2009-03-21T04:41:00.000-07:00

If you were to walk along the terrain near the small town of Selah, Washington, you would see a hilly, desert-like landscape, reflecting the dry climate that is characteristic of the eastern half of this Pacific Northwest state; however, during Pleistocene times (1.8 million to 10,000 years B.P.), you would see a wetter, cooler landscape, consisting of a greater abundance of vegetation, water sources, and fauna long ago extinct. Mammoths roamed this ancient ecosystem. Isolated examples of their bones have been found scattered across this, the Columbian Plateau area. Rare, however, is the instance where an assemblage of associated bones from a single specimen can be found in one location. Such a site is the subject of ongoing investigations being conducted by a research team under the direction of Dr. Patrick Lubinski of Central Washington University. Known as the Wenas Creek Mammoth site, it has thus far revealed hundreds of bone elements, including nearly complete mammoth leg bones, vertebrae, toe bones and shoulder blade, as well as the remains of bison, dated to approximately 16,000 years B.P. Additional bones remain partially exposed from the 2008 excavations and are awaiting removal in 2009. Equally intriguing, human artifacts (cryptocrystalline flakes) were discovered in proximity to, and 15 centimeters above, a mammoth bone, suggesting a human presence at the site. Were there humans in the midst of these ancient creatures as early as 16,000 years ago? More work needs to be done to answer that question. The goals of the project are to recover additional mammoth remains and associated fauna and paleo-environmental data, and to place these into the geological context. Additionally, it is hoped that the research will reveal the taphonomic relationships between the finds, as well as more evidence of human presence.

Individuals interested in being a part of this exciting work of discovery will have the opportunity to participate either as field school students or in other volunteer capacities, learning the tools and techniques common to BOTH paleontology and archaeology. The Wenas Creek Mammoth Project Field School will be conducted during the summer of 2009 and will offer a full agenda of practical learning experiences.

The Field School

The Field School is open to anyone eligible to register for college credits (college students or not) and may be audited by those not wanting college credit. There are no prerequisites, but some background in archaeology, geography and/or geology is strongly encouraged. For the first week (June 22-27), students will be training with lecture, lab studies, field trips, and perhaps hikes. They will acquire some background in archaeological field methods, sediments, mammoths, maps, and the regional environment. The first day will be entirely on campus, but they may be in the field or on campus thereafter. Primary field tasks will be recovery of mammoth bones and any artifacts, and collection of stratigraphic and geomorphic information to place the finds into context. To do this, a number of 2 x 2 m units will be excavated, mapping all encountered bone and artifacts with a total station theodolite. Students may use shovels, wheelbarrows, trowels, brushes, and/or fine bamboo skewers for excavation, and shake the recovered material through 1/8" screens. As bone is recovered, the team will make use of a consolidant to stabilize fragments and prevent them from disintegrating. As they excavate the 2 x 2 m units, they will also carefully record the stratigraphy of each, and link this to the already-described stratigraphy of the backhoe trench excavated in 2005. Ultimately, the recovered bones will be linked to the stratigraphy and associated geomorphology of the site. Students may also gain experience with pedestrian archaeology. As part of an exchange program, they may spend up to a week on a survey crew working through central Washington. This exchange is with a parallel CWU archaeology summer field school under the direction of Dr. Steve Hackenberger. Transportation is provided. Students may choose their level of participation in this exchange, up to five days. Additionally, participants will also take several field trips elsewhere, such as the Yakima Valley Museum in Yakima and the Qwu?gwes "wetsite" archaeological excavation in Olympia.

Join the Team!

If you are interested in learning more about how to join this effort, go to the website at www.cwu.edu/~masters/mammoth.html for more detailed information about the project and how to apply. Not interested or ready for the full Field School experience? You can volunteer to participate and get a taste of the action by registering for their ongoing volunteer program. Information about this program can also be found at the website.

The CAA Adult Field School

2009-02-18T15:08:00.000-08:00

The Center for American Archeology is pleased to offer five weeks of focused field excavation and laboratory experience for undergraduate students, graduate students, and other adults interested in participating in an intensive archeological experience. Our field school is a great opportunity to gain or enhance your skills in excavation and laboratory processing.

The Site: During Summer 2009, the CAA will be working at TBGOK (The Buried Gardens of Kampsville), a Middle Woodland/Hopewell village site (ca. 50 BC – AD 250). Middle Woodland is a dynamic and exciting time period in the prehistory of our region, one characterized by extensive trade networks, mound building, horticulture-based economies, and the emergence of an elite ruling class. From 2004-2008, our excavation team discovered an extensive midden deposit containing Hopewell pottery, exotic trade goods (mica, copper, hornstone, obsidian), bones from numerous animal species (elk, turtle, deer, dog, river otter), and stone-lined post molds. During 2008, excavators also discovered additional evidence of post-supported structures, intact pieces of mica, and unusual fired ceramic objects. Your work at the site will make an important contribution to our understanding of this time period in the lower Illinois River valley region, one of the richest archeological areas of the Midwestern US.

Program: Participants may enroll for 1-5 weeks. Tuition includes room, basic field lunch (sandwiches, chips, etc.) each day, project-related supplies, and instruction; you’ll also get a one-year membership in the CAA! Breakfast & dinner are on your own. Participants will stay at one of the CAA’s bunkhouse-style dormitories; rooms are at minimum double-occupancy. Dormitories have refrigerators, microwaves, hot plates, and a BBQ grill. Participants are responsible for making their own transportation arrangements; the CAA can provide shuttle service to & from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport or the Alton, Illinois Amtrak station for a fee (see Registration Form).

1 Week: $550 3 Weeks: $1320

2 Weeks: $1100 4 Weeks: $1650

5 weeks: $2000

Limited scholarship support for women is available. Please follow the ‘Opportunities’ link on our main page at www.caa-archaeology.org for application & deadline details.

Who May Enroll: Enrollees must be 18 years or older.

Is This Program Right For Me?: This program is for adults who are interested in improving their excavation and laboratory skills in a structured, intensive work environment. The majority of your time will be spent in the field, with evenings (and bad weather days) spent completing essential laboratory work. Reasonably fit individuals who are capable of working outdoors in hot, humid weather (shoveling, troweling, lifting, etc.) should be physically able to participate. Participants should be able to work collaboratively with others in an intensive, immersion-style learning & living community that emphasizes collegiality.

Credit for the Program: This program does not carry academic credit; however, we are happy to work with you if you petition your university/college for credit – we’ll supply supporting information and evaluation of your participation in the program. Many of our previous students have gone on to successfully earn credit for their work.

Go to www.caa-archaeology.org:

Enrollment Process: Complete the Registration Form and return it to the CAA Office along with your 30% deposit or full payment. Scholarship applicants should not send a deposit with their enrollment forms.

Upon receipt of a completed Registration Form, we will send you a confirmation letter and a packet of additional information. Please note that your remaining tuition balance is due one week before the program begins.

What Forms Do I Need to Complete?: Registration Form, Assumption of Risk/Permission to Photo Form, Adult Medical Form. These are available from the “Registration Packet” link on the main page.

NOTE: Registration for the program closes one week prior to the start of each session. Enrollment is limited to 10 individuals per week.

Understanding Maya Land Use at El Pilar

2009-01-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

This is not your typical Maya archaeological site. It doesn't wow you with its imposing monumental temples, plazas, ball courts and residential palaces like Palenque or Tikal. Yet it boasts 100 acres of plazas, pyramids and other structures, ranking it among the major ancient centers of the lowland Maya region. Straddling the border of Belize and Guatemala, the site of El Pilar, as this settlement has come to be known, doesn't flaunt its monumental prowess with cleanly exposed stone structures. Many of its ancient structures still lie protected by vegetation because it is the subject of a whole new paradigm of archaeological investigation -- a paradigm that may prove to be a model for many projects to come, and which may lead to solutions about how humanity can sustain itself and flourish by cooperating with nature instead of altering, subduing and destroying it. The research at El Pilar is based upon the premise that the ancient Maya worked WITH their tropical environment, as opposed to exploiting and transfiguring it, to create a flourishing civilization sustained by its natural environment or ecosystem. Exploring this concept could answer some age-old questions about what contributed to ancient Maya prosperity and, conversely, what may have contributed to its mysterious decline. By extension (and even more exciting), in this age of increasing global environmental awareness, El Pilar serves as a living museum and laboratory, drawing from what can be learned about ancient cultural practices to create a conservation model for the future of our own civilization.

The 2009 Field Season

How did the ancient Maya manage their landscape? Under the direction of Dr. Anabel Ford of the Mesoamerican Research Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara and the nonprofit organization, Exploring Solutions Past: The Maya Forest Alliance, the 2009 El Pilar field season will focus on testing a predictive model of ancient Maya land use through the lens of contemporary Maya forest gardeners. Understanding how these farmers use their land will help piece together the mosaic of land use in the past. Moreover, animals that survived the rise and fall of the Maya and are only threatened today by modern hunting practices must have formed a critical part of the Maya landscape, past and present. This season's work will integrate these diverse elements into one exciting field exploration. The core of the fieldwork will take place from May 1 to June 2009. Following is an outline of the many elements that will be studied during the season:

Activities:

- Floristic complexity of today: canopy levels

o In the fields and orchards: polyculture, agroforestry, forest regeneration

o Traditional land management: soil maintenance, land cover, pest management

- Food chain of the forest garden: faunal distribution

o Corn is the canopy: browsers, small mammals, reptiles, birds, insects

o Orchard/forest as canopy: all the above, arboreal fauna, top predators

- Mapping Maya house sites and soil at El Pilar

o Urban El Pilar: high density and complex distribution of structures

o Rural El Pilar: low density and simple distribution of structures

o Traditional farmer input: understanding the rural component

If you are interested in being a part of this ground-breaking research, you canfind more information at www.marc.ucsb.edu/elpilar/Join.php, or contact Anabel Ford at Ford@marc.ucsb.edu. In addition, general information about the ongoing research at El Pilar can be found at http://marc.ucsb.edu, and http://mayaforestgardeners.org .

Photo credits: top photo, Macduff Everton; others, BRASS Archives

Blue Creek: Excavating an Upscale Community

2009-01-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

When we think of the ancient Maya civilization, the monumental centers of Tikal, Palenque, Chichen Itza, and Copan usually come to mind. These, however, are only a few of the countless ancient sites, many of which, though known to exist, still lie unexcavated and unexplored. Still others are yet undiscovered, and their number is still a mystery. The jungle shrouds their secrets. The archaeologists who uncover and investigate these sites have many years of work ahead them before a complete picture of the Maya civilization, and how it mysteriously and suddenly declined, emerges.

Blue Creek

A comparatively small site in northwestern Belize promises to add an important chapter to the story. It will help answer questions about how a medium-sized community of approximately 20,000 people managed to support an unusually wealthy class of residents and a large public precinct surrounded by numerous, well-defined residential structures and agricultural components. Known as Blue Creek, scientists at this site have uncovered a large number of exotic goods, unusual for a community of this size. It is thought that its strategic location, in combination with the techniques the ancient inhabitants employed in agricultural production, defined the foundation for its wealth.

The Project

Dr. Thomas Guderjan of the Maya Research Program is leading a team of archaeologists and other professional staff to find answers to the questions surrounding the site. In 2009, the team will be returning to continue excavations in an elite residential area of Blue Creek known as Rosita, and in the agricultural field systems surrounding the site, including two other nearby centers. They are calling for students and volunteers to join them for their 2009 season, which begins May 25 and runs through July 26.

The Field School

Participants will receive training in field and laboratory techniques as well as receive a "crash course" on the Maya and archaeological methodology. Accommodation is at the Blue Creek research station, which has 35 small residential cabanas, a 1500 square foot laboratory building, a main building with a dining hall, and men's and women's restrooms and showers. All meals, equipment and supplies are provided. There will be four two-week sessions. Participants are welcome to join any or all of them. A particularly noteworthy aspect of this opportunity involves the offering of 10 Welker Scholarships, funded by income from the Welker Endowment and a generous donation by Mr. Jack Thompson. The intent of the Scholarships is to encourage talented young undergraduate and graduate students to participate in the project and to pursue archaeology or related fields. Moreover, these students will be afforded greater responsibilities than other participants during the fieldwork.

Join the Team

For the student or enthusiast of Maya archaeology, the Blue Creek experience represents one of the best field school opportunities available for this region of the world. If you are interested in becoming a part of it, you can find out more by going to www.mayaresearchprogram.org or by emailing Dr. Guderjan at guderjan@gmail.com. The project staff has prepared an excellent, detailed Participant Guide that will tell you just about everything you would want to know as a Project student or volunteer. The Guide can be accessed at the website.

Gezer: Reexamining a Renowned Archaeological Site

2009-01-16T16:59:00.000-08:00

..........For Pharaoh King of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife. And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the nether............ 1 Kings 9:16-17

Among the major archaeological sites of Israel, the Tel that marks the site of ancient Gezer has already revealed much of itself to scholars. A series of excavations have shown that the 33-acre site was continuously occupied from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic Period. During the Iron Age, according to the Biblical account, it was one of three major cities fortified under King Solomon. This makes it a key site for research concerning questions within the context of the current archaeological and scholarly debates about the nature and chronology of the rise of the ancient Israelite State and Iron Age ceramic chronology. Dr. Steven Ortiz of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Sam Wolff of the Israel Antiguities Authority, along with a consortium of universities, are investigating important questions related to these issues through renewed excavations, focusing now on the Iron Age stratigraphy of the eastern slope of the western hill where previous excavations have revealed several occupational phases of the Iron Age city. They are inviting students and volunteers to join them in this undertaking during the summer of 2009. The dig season will run from June 15 to July 17. For those interested in acquiring academic credit, this project offers a Field School that is clearly among the best that can be offered for students of archaeology of the Levant.

THE FIELD SCHOOL

The Tel Gezer Excavation Project’s program contains three components:

Evening classroom lectures
Field School: practicum and lab; and
Weekend study-travel

Courses:

There are two courses (3 hours each).
History, Archaeology, and Geography of Ancient Israel (BBHST 3423 Grad; BIB1203-A Undergrad)
Archaeological Field Methods (ARCHE 4203 Grad; BIB3503-A Undergrad)
(undergraduate credit will be offered through the College at Southwestern and graduate credit will be offered through Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary).

Each week there will be four evening lectures. The lectures will cover three areas of study: History and Archaeology of Ancient Israel, Geography of the Southern Levant, and Archaeological Method and Theory.

The archaeology practicum is the core of the academic program. Five days a week students will participate in field archaeology. They will learn field excavation methods and techniques, the field recording system, daily excavation strategy, removal and conservation of material culture, section drawing and survey techniques. Four days a week students will participate in an archaeological lab where they will process material culture: ceramics, osteological data, and botanical remains.

The study travel program involves four weekends of touring the country. The regions that will be covered are Jerusalem, Coastal Plain, Shephelah, Galilee, Sea of Galilee, Golan Heights, Jezreel Valley, Dead Sea, Judean Wilderness, and the Negev. Key sites that will be visited are Caesarea, Megiddo, Sepphoris, Nazareth, Mt. of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Katzrin, Arad, Beersheva, Masada, Qumran, En Gedi, etc.

Accommodations and Meals

Volunteers sleep in air-conditioned suites, four to a suite. Each suite is self-contained with its own bathroom, television, telephone. Clean linens and towels will be provided daily. Two breakfasts will be provided on the Tel and at base camp. Lunch and dinner meals will be prepared by the hotel and served in the hotel dining room. There is free wireless internet available in the hotel lobby.

Length of Stay/Room and Board/Costs

Volunteers are encouraged to join the project for the full five weeks of the excavation season. There are a limited number of spots available, and these will be reserved for those students who can participate for the full season. However, it is possible to arrange for a minimum two week stay upon approval by the project directors. The cost for the full five weeks is $1825. Additional costs include round trip airfare to Israel, tuition, and a $600 field trip fee.

JOIN THE TEAM!

Learn, make new friends, and be a part of the adventure of discovery! Few archaeological digs in the Near Eastern region can offer this much to its participants. If you are interested, you can find detailed information about the project, including down-loadable educational/instructional documents, by going to www.gezerproject.org.

Exploring the Magnificent Ecclesiastical Palaces of Scotland

2009-01-10T12:38:00.000-08:00

Almost any traveler to Europe can tell you about the incredible medieval architecture that dots its landscape. Scotland ranks among those countries with the finest examples of this period of history. Did you know that the Medieval bishops of Scotland were among the great nobles who spearheaded the construction of some of its finest cathedrals, churches, halls and castles? Their residential palaces were at the very least as impressive as the finest castles and manors of the Land. Through the Scottish Episcopal Palaces Project (SEPP) the University of Wales at Lampeter is investigating the development of bishops' palaces in Scotland up to the end of the episcopacy in the closing of the 17th century. The investigation of their residences will provide the basis for answering questions about the relationship between ecclesiastical and castellar architecture, and the physical and allegorical aspects of bishop's palaces in their landscape setting. In exploring the multi-functional roles of medieval bishops' palaces, SEPP investigates how the bishops conducted their pastoral and temporal work in a manner suited to their lordly status, taking into account their need for defense on spiritual as well as on physical levels.

Initially, SEPP has focused on the medieval dioceses of Aberdeen and Moray, where the project's research has identified fifteen possible episcopal sites. Detailed work has been conducted on two in particular: Kinneddar (diocese of Moray) and Fetternear (diocese of Aberdeen). In 2009, a team of students and volunteers, under the direction of Dr. Penny Dransart, will continue excavating the site of Fetternear. The site is important because it was the summer palace of the bishops of Aberdeen. It was associated with Bishop Cheyne at a time when Scotland was subjected to the invasion of English forces under Edward I. The palace was rebuilt in the 1330s by Alexander de Kininmund, a cleric associated with the Declaration of Arbroath (1320), which is Scotland's Declaration of Independence from England. The structure and surrounding area continued to undergo changes through time, making it a complex subject of study.

The Fetternear project team is inviting students and volunteers to join them this summer as they continue to uncover the architectural features and associated remains and artifacts of this informative site. It will provide the opportunity to not only excavate buried remains, but also to record and study the standing architecture. One of the project goals is to uncover more of the palace's surounding moat, which has some unusual features. This excavation opportunity offers another rather unique element -- the dig fee is............FREE. If you are interested in participating, find out more about it at www.lamp.ac.uk/archanth/staff/dransart/fetternear.htm and contact Dr. Penny Dransart at p.dransart@lamp.ac.uk.

Beyond Touring: Touring with a Purpose in Belize

2008-12-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

These are not the average tours. They combine individualized or small group educational surveys of the most fascinating features of ancient Mayan sites with the chance to truly "give back" to the local host communities in a meaningful way. The tourists on these journeys "earn their keep", so to speak, and take away something special -- that great feeling that they have made a difference -- leaving the place they visit a little better than it was when they arrived. I am referring to that little-known company that designs affordable programs and itineraries for discriminating, service-oriented travelers who want to experience something beyond the beaten path. Known as "Beyond Touring", it provides specialized tours of selected archaeological sites in Belize in combination with the opportunity to become involved in community service programs for the associated current host populations.

Many of the tours focus on an examination of the impressive ancient ruins and artifacts of Lamanai, an ancient city that boasts over 3,000 years of human occupation. At one time it had a population of approximately 50,000, and archaeological investigators have found evidence of over 800 structures. Nestled within a tropical forest, one can also view a wide variety of birds and mammals here, including a large resident population of Black Howler monkeys. But the most important part of this experience entails a more hands-on activity: Coupled with the touring, participants have the opportunity to employ their time and talents on meaningful projects that assist the nearby Indian Church Village Library. The projects, focusing on such things as literacy development through after-school programs and Spring or Winter break literacy programs, are designed to benefit the residents and children who use the facility. Subjects and areas of concentration usually depend upon the needs of the community and the interests and skills of the tourist-participant. Moreover, the activities provide opportunities to get to know the local residents and culture in a much more intimate way, something that traditional tours cannot possibly match. Finally, as a parting gift for giving back, many of the tours end with a few days of relaxation at Belize's famous and beautiful barrier reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you are interested in becoming a part of this unique travel experience, you can find out more by visiting the website at www.beyondtouring.com.

Connecting the Past with the Present: The Mud Bay Archaeological Project

2008-12-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

It is nothing new to say that today's culture has its roots in the culture of the past. Everything we believe and do is influenced by an assemblage of ideas, values, traditions, knowledge, art and technology inherited from those who have gone before us. Part of the purpose of archaeological endeavor is to rediscover or recover and preserve the material vestiges of this cultural inheritance. But one archaeological project has embodied the essence of this through a fascinating cooperative effort between scientists dedicated to the study of a past people and those who represent today's living descendants of those people: Through the joint efforts of members of the Squaxin Island Tribe in the State of Washington and the Anthropology Department of the South Puget Sound Community College, an important site of an ancient culture on the shore of Mud Bay in south Puget Sound is meticulously being investigated and studied. For the field of anthropology, this project will serve as a unique example of how archaeological research can be informed through knowledge of a current culture.

At the site, the tribe provides cultural knowledge while college faculty members provide scientific expertise. The excavations are conducted as a field school for cultural anthropology and archaeology students, as well as tribal members. The site includes a 300-foot long shell midden that consists of a variety of stone and bone artifacts. Within the site area is evidence of a possible plank longhouse, a freshwater spring, a food-processing area, and an area of shell midden. A portion of the midden area is waterlogged and contains excellently preserved wood, fiber, and other materials. One of the early artifacts excavated in this area is a 60-square-foot section of gill net made of two-strand cedar bark string. Other excavated artifacts have included a carved harpoon shaft, basket fragments, fiber cordage, and wood chips dating 500 to 1000 years ago. Not far from the shell midden in the tidal flats of the bay are the remains of over 400 cedar posts from a wooden fishing weir recently Carbon-14 dated to 470 years ago.

For the Squaxin Island Tribe, the site provides an important link to the tribe's centuries-old cultural history. For the scientific community, the cultural input provided by the Squaxin Island Tribe helps them gain a more complete picture of the past, including the tribe's oral history, tribal technologies and practices, and belief system. A prime example of this is when the participating tribal members were able to identify the gill net found at the site as intended for small species of salmon because of the size of the mesh openings and its similarity to nets in use today by tribal fisherpersons. This cultural component is rarely included in typical archaeological work.

Dr. Dale Croes of the Department of Anthropology, South Puget Sound Community College, Rhonda Foster, Director for Cultural Resources, and the Squaxin Island Tribe are inviting students to join them in this field school during the summer of 2009. Participants will gain invaluable training in full-scale archaeological excavation techniques, as well as laboratory experience, including conservation, analysis, replication, interpretation, photography and illustration of artifacts. Moreover, working as a team with the Squaxin Island Tribe, participants will also gain invaluable cultural training.

Clearly, this field school will afford a one-of-a-kind experience for those fortunate enough to be a part of it. If you are interested in being a part of this unique opportunity, go to the website for more detailed information.

Archaeological Digs' Field School Pick of 2009: Investigating Paleoindian Sites in the Mountain West

2008-12-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

2007 field crew, which included students from all over the country.

Combine beautiful scenery, the adventure of hiking and camping, cutting-edge research at Paleoindian sites dated thousands of years before the coming of 19th century settlers, and one of the most comprehensive archaeological field schools ever devised, and you have Archaeological Digs' Pick of 2009 for archaeological fieldwork experiences: The Utah State University 2009 Archaeology Field School, otherwise known as the "Rocky Mountain High" field school.

Open only to serious, matriculated students of archaeology, anthropology, and related fields, it has operated for nearly a decade, and it has become increasingly popular because students gain a broad range of experiences that most other field schools do not offer. In summer 2009 this will be truer than ever before.

The summer 2009 field school will encompass most of the summer. Rather than simply working in a 1X1 m excavation unit for a few weeks and then heading home, students will participate in every element of a robust archaeological research program, starting in the field, and concluding with artifact analysis and the write-up of results.

Participants will earn 8 credits: 5 for "archaeology field school" (Anth 5310) and 3 for "archaeology lab” (Anth 5310). These credits have always readily transferred to other universities and colleges, for students who join from institutions other than USU. To earn the credits, students will work four 10-day sessions in the field and two 10-day sessions in the archaeology lab on the USU campus.

Principal Investigator Bonnie Pitblado and field school participant Eric Giese record a site located during a field school survey in the Gunnison Basin, Colorado. This site is located at an elevation of about 10,000’ above sea level.

The first three 10-day sessions will be based in the Gunnison Basin of Southwest Colorado. There, with National Science Foundation support, students will learn to conduct archaeological surveys and will participate in a geoarchaeological project that involves recording prehistoric stone quarries. The P.I. (Principal Investigator, which equals Project Director)) and other project personnel are developing geochemical techniques to fingerprint quartzite (as we currently do obsidian), and students will help collect the samples needed to characterize the range of quartzite in the Gunnison Basin. In the process, students will learn to read geologic and topographic maps, work alongside geologists to reconstruct landscape formation processes, and learn and practice traditional survey and site recording techniques.

2007 field school students record a quartzite quarry site in the Gunnison Basin, Colorado. 2009 field school participants will also record quarry sites—and take a lot of quartzite samples for later geochemical analysis.

The fourth 10-day session will again be field-based, but this time the team will move to a Paleoindian (11,000 - 8,000 year-old) site in southeastern Idaho, where Dr. Pitblado of USU recently began a new field program. This will expose students to excavation techniques, including mapping using a total station, keeping detailed records of finds, and so forth. The Idaho project area is located within an hour or so of the USU campus, but the excavation team will establish a base camp near the site for the session. Students will enjoy about a week off between the third session in Colorado and the Idaho field session, and it will fall over the 4th of July holiday.

The final two 10-day sessions will be lab-based, and will convene in the USU archaeology lab. Here, students will learn what most field school participants never do: how to process (curate) finds, analyze them, manipulate the data gathered, and write-up reports of field work. Students committed to careers in archaeology may opt to go one step further, presenting elements of the fieldwork at the fall 2009 Rocky Mountain Anthropological Conference, an experience that can bring the work full circle (and provide wonderful networking opportunities for job- and grad program-seekers). Conference participation is optional, and something students can decide to do or not do over the course of the summer's work.

One of the great aspects of this program is that students may use their breaks to hike, go white-water rafting or kayaking, fish or explore the fascinating mountain towns of Crested Butte, Lake City, Ouray, Telluride, Silverton, and Durango; as well as to visit the great popular attractions of the American West, such as Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons, and Jackson, Wyoming.

This experiential learning activity will afford a valuable set of skills matched by few other field schools. If you are a current student and you are interested in this opportunity, you can find more detailed information about the field school and how to apply by going to www.usu.edu/anthro/intothefield.html.