ARCS Archaeological Field School at Heraclea Sintica, Bulgaria

American Research Center in Sofia Summer Archaeology Program, 2013

Archaeological Field School at Heraclea Sintica with excursions to archaeological sites in Bulgaria

Academic Leaders (ARCS): Prof. Eric De Sena and Dr. Emil Nankov

Excavation/Field School Directors: Dr. Emil Nankov (ARCS), Prof. Lyudmil Vagalinski (Director, National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, Bulgaria), Dr. Hallie Franks (New York University)

Duration: May 29 (arrival to Sofia) – July 1, 2013 (departure from Sofia)

Eligibility: advanced undergraduate and graduate students of American universities in the fields of Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Studies, Ancient History and related studies

Fee: $1400

The American Research Center in Sofia (www.arcsofia.org) is pleased to announce the second summer Archaeological Field School at Heraclea Sintica (Bulgaria). Developing upon a successful first season in 2012, ARCS is expanding the program to include a 10-day pre-excavation excursion to archaeological sites in Bulgaria.

Students will arrive in Sofia on May 29 and will spend two full days exploring the archaeology and history of this beautiful city. On June 1, the Team will begin an archaeological journey, visiting sites and museums in Pleven, Svishtov, Ruse, Shumen, Varna, Sozopol, Kazanlak, Plovdiv and other smaller sites. Two nights will be spent along the Danube River and two nights will be spent on the Black Sea. We will arrive in the city of Petrich on June 8, the nearest city to the excavations at Heraclea Sintica. The excavation Team will reside in a hotel in Petrich during the 3-week excavation season. Archaeological work is conducted Monday-Friday with additional excursions to northern Greece and Republic of Macedonia on weekends. The Team will be accompanied back to Sofia on June 30, where they will stay one night, departing from Sofia on July 1.

Situated on the slopes of an extinct volcano, near the confluence of the Strumenshnica (ancient Pontos) and Struma (ancient Strymon) rivers, Heraclea Sintica was an important Hellenistic city. The location of Heraclea Sintica along the Strymon River and at the junction between valleys leading west into Illyricum and south into Greek Macedonia, contributed toward the wealth of the city as a commercial center. The city thrived in the Roman and Late Antique periods, declining in the early Middle Ages. The current ARCS Field School focuses upon a sequence of architectural remains, some of which have been identified as a district for craftsmen.

The fee for the ARCS Summer Archaeology Program is $1400, which covers the cost of lodging in Sofia, and the cities where we will stay during the pre-excavation excursion, ground transportation during the excursion and museum/site tickets during the excursions; thanks to an ARCS subsidy, the cost of housing, ground transportation and most meals are covered during the excavation season at Heraclea/Petrich. This fee does not cover lunch or dinner during the excursions, international travel to/from Sofia, travel insurance or academic credits; the fee also does not cover dinner on Saturdays and lunch/dinner on Sundays during the excavation season. Students interested in obtaining academic credits should contact Dr. De Sena (sofiadirector@arcsofia.org)

For full consideration, prospective students should submit an application to Dr. Emil Nankov (apo@arcsofia.org) by February 15, 2013. Application material is available at the bottom of this webpage.

Additional Details about the Excavations at Heraclea

Organized by the American Research Center in Sofia (ARCS), in collaboration with the National Institute of Archaeology with a Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia (NIAM-BAS).

Project Location: Heraclea Sintica (in the middle ground on the photo below) is located near the village of Rupite, approximately 12 km northeast of Petrich, SW Bulgaria. All fieldwork will take place on the site, with frequent visits to the Municipal Museum of History in Petrich. The project base is located in the town of Petrich,(pop. 30,000), situated 180 km south of Sofia (Bulgaria), 130 km north of Thessaloniki (Greece) and 200 km northwest of Skopie (FYROM).

Program Description: The Program offers one excavation session, lectures and field trips, continuing for three weeks. Each participant will receive hands-on instruction in archaeological fieldwork on the site by qualified supervisors. In addition to learning excavation and recording techniques, the participants will be expected to produce a short report on a subject of their interest (architecture, metal finds, coins, pottery, diet, faunal remains, etc.). Further instruction will be offered by a series of lectures delivered by the field school staff, invited US faculty members and visiting Bulgarian scholars. The topics of these presentations range from graphic documentation to non-invasive field methods in archaeology, study of inscriptions on stone and broader political history.

The students will be required to participate in the excavations five days each week, as well as attend the ten lectures and the three field trips. There will be one day off each work week. Study trips are arranged to archaeological sites and museums in Bulgaria, FYROM and Greece. Among the sites included are Sandanski, Drenkovo, Melnik, Strumica, Bansko, Valandovo, Amphipolis and Philippi. The program covers room, board and field trips. The program does not include: airfare to Bulgaria, dinners and meals on non work days, site and museum tickets. Participants will be provided with a certificate upon completion of the program.

Students are expected to arrange for medical insurance and to obtain visas, if applicable. Participants are required to bring a pair of hiking boots, sun and mosquito protection.

Schedule

June 8 Arrival to Petrich, accommodation and orientation. June 9 Walking tour of Petrich and museum visit. June 10 Work on site begins at 6am. The school consists of work on site from 6am to 1pm, lunch in Petrich, afternoon session of finds processing or a lecture from 4pm to 6pm. June 30 Transfer to Sofia for overnight stay.

Daily schedule is: Excavations Monday to Friday, Saturday study trips, Sunday free.