Eastern European Archaeological Digs

August 1-August 15, 2012 and August 16-30, 2012. Balkan Heritage. Excavations at the sacred precinct (temenos) of the Ancient Greek city of Apollonia Pontica on St. Kirik Island, Sozopol, Bulgaria. Periods of occupation: Archaic and Classical Greek, Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine (seventh century BC-seventh century AD). Despite being one of the largest and richest Ancient Greek colonies in the Black sea region, Apollonia Pontica (present-day Sozopol, Bulgria) was famous in Antiquity because of the colossal statue of Apollo by Calamis. According to Pliny the Elder (Pliny 34.29) and Strabo (Strabo, 7.319) the 13-meter high bronze sculpture cost 500 Talents. It was raised in the fifth century BC in/in front of the temple dedicated to Apollo Ietros (the Healer) - patron deity of Apollonia Pontica. In 72 BC the Romans under Marcus Lucullus sacked the city and the colossal sculpture was transported to Rome as a trophy.

June 21-August 13, 2008 (two sessions). Center for the Study of Eurasian Nomads. Upper Paleolithic to 19th and 20th century AD with emphasis on the Bronze Age and the Bronze and Early Iron Age (mid 2nd to mid 1st millennium BC).

Every year, Balkan Heritage schedules field schools between May and October, including excavations, preservation work camps, and hunting and documenting medieval frescoes. Details on the current projects are listed separately.

July 2-August 18, 2012 (two sessions). Slavia Foundation. In the summer of 2012, we offer seven weeks of archeological exploration and adventure at the the prehistoric/postmedieval multicultural site at Drawsko. The Slavia Field School in Mortuary Archaeology offers a unique opportunity for archaeology and physical anthropology students as well as future practitioners of forensic sciences and anyone interested in mortuary archeology to learn recovery and documentation techniques on both incinerated and skeletal human remains. All students take part in an archaeological excavation, getting hands-on experience in disinterment of human burials and cremations from their discovery to final removal.

No Fieldschool in 2009-2012. Prehistory Foundation, Karlovo, Bulgaria and Museum of History, Karlovo, Bulgaria. The goal of the project is to document the beginning of the occupation of the prehistoric multilevel settlement of Dubene-Sarovka, Karlovo Municipality, Plovdiv District, Bulgaria, and one of the earliest Bronze Age villages in Thrace.

12-26 May, 2012-Core Field School Project / 27 May-2 June, 2012 Extended Field School Project. Balkan Heritage. This project aims to support the documentation of medieval frescoes preserved in abandoned churches and chapels in remote areas of Western Bulgaria. Their number has permanently decreased due to the lack of effort to preserve them from weather damage. For the last four years the “Fresco-Hunting” Photo Expedition has upgraded the existing database of drawn and photographic records of ten churches and chapels in Western Bulgaria.

September 4-18, 2011. Balkan Heritage. An expedition for documentation of medieval frescoes preserved in medieval churches and chapels of South-western Macedonia

September 3-16, 2012. Balkan Heritage. Apollonia Pontica is one of the most ancient towns on the Western Black Sea coast. The city, founded by Miletian colonists around 610 BC, was named Apollonia Pontica, in honour of the patron deity of Miletus – Apollo. Chronicles mention the temple of Apollo, decorated with a 13 meter high bronze statue of the deity, which stood on an island next to the city. The workshop will guide the participants through the history of ancient Greek pottery, its production and consequent stages of archaeological conservation, documentation, study, and restoration. It will take place in both Emona and Sozopol (ancient Apollonia Pontica) on the Black sea coast, Bulgaria. Both the theoretical and practical courses will be based on Ancient Greek pottery found in Sozopol. During the workshop participants will work with authentic Ancient Greek shards.

June 20-July 14, 2012 and July 15-29, 2012 (two sessions). Balkan Heritage. Excavations of the ancient (Hellenistic, Roman, Late Roman) town of Heraclea Lyncestis in Bitola, Macedonia. Season 2012 envisions excavations in the residential area in front of the Theater. Two field school sessions are available in 2012, each includes following three modules: fieldwork including maintaining a field journal on a daily basis, filling out context sheets and labels, drawing an elevation plan/ a ground plan/ a cross-section, 3D positioning of finds, taking coordinates with a level device, and taking photographs at the site; lectures, workshops and field trainings in Classic and Field Archaeology as well as Finds' processing and Documentation and excursions to: the ancient Hellenistic and Roman city of Stobi, and the medieval town and lake of Ohrid (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

June 17-July 16, 2012. (two sessions). Balkan Heritage. Excavation of one of the first Neolithic settlements in Europe (6200-5500 BC), near Ilindentsi, Southwestern Bulgaria. Scholars assume that the settlement near Ilindentsi was established by groups of people, coming from the earliest and the largest Early Neolithic settlement in the Valley, found near the village of Kovachevo. Thank to the results of a 20-year long Bulgarian-French Excavation Project in Kovachevo there is abundant evidence showing that the first inhabitants of that settlement were people of Anatolian origin (culture Hacilar VI-I). These migration patterns that traced the routes of European Neolithisation had various and complex reasons: increased population, limited environmental resources, climate change etc.

June 12-25, 2011. Balkan Heritage. The workshop will guide the participants through the history, techniques and consequent stages of archaeological study, conservation and documentation of Late Roman/Early Byzantine (fourth-sixth century AD) mural paintings. Both the theoretical and practical courses will be based on authentic wall-painting fragments found in the ancient city of Stobi

July 17-August 28, 2010. Cotsen Institute, UCLA. Noviodunum was a major fortress and naval base on the Roman and late Byzantine frontier, forming part of the extensive series of fortifications along the line of the Danube.

July 15-August 4, 2012. Universitate “1 Decembrie 1918” in Alba Iulia, Romania. The 2010 field season will take place again at the late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age settlement site at Piatra Tomii (Racatau village, Alba county). he main focus of the project’s research has been on better understanding the development of prehistoric cultures in the Mureş valley in terms of technology, regional interaction and resource exploitation. The project also focuses on clarifying the chronology of this region to better understand when (and perhaps why) certain advancements and changes took place. This involves not only the day-to-day lives of the people who lived in the Mures valley, but also how they interacted with their environment. From 2004 to 2010 excavations were carried out at several sites as well as numerous field walking surveys to search for and catalogue prehistoric sites. As in the previous two years, the 2012 field season will take place at the late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age settlement site at Piatra Tomii (Răcătău village, Alba County).

June 21-July 28, 2011. John Cabot University, Loyola University Chicago and Zalau Museum of History and Art. Porolissum is among the largest and best-preserved archaeological sites in all of Romania. Established in A.D. 106 by the Roman emperor Trajan, Porolissum helped defend the main northwestern passageway through the Carpathian Mountains into the province of Dacia.

June 16-29, 2012. Balkan Heritage. The workshop will guide the participants through the history of Roman and Late Roman pottery, its production and consequent stages of archaeological conservation, documentation, study, and restoration. It will take place in Stobi (the capital of Macedonia Secunda). The workshop for Conservation, Restoration and Documentation of Roman Pottery, 2012 will be hosted as usual by the National Institute of Stobi, Macedonia at the Stobi Archaeological Park. It will guide the participants through the history and technology of Roman and Late Roman pottery and consequent stages of archaeological conservation, restoration, documentation and study. Both the theoretical and practical courses will be based on Roman pottery found in the ancient city of Stobi

From Firebird Travel, a listing of archaeology digs held in Russia.

July 290August 27, 2012 (three sessions). Balkan Heritage. Two field school sessions of the project are available in 2012, each including the following three modules: fieldwork including maintaining a field journal on a daily basis, filling out context sheets and labels, drawing an elevation plan/a ground plan/a cross-section, 3D positioning of finds, taking coordinates with a level device, and taking photographs at the site; lectures, workshops and field trainings in Classic and Field Archaeology as well as Finds' processing and Documentation and excursions to the St.Archangel Michael Monastery (10th century), the old towns of Prilep and Bitola, the archaeological site of Heraclea Lyncestis as well as to Ohrid and Ohrid lake (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

2-16 July 2011 and 17-31 July, 2011 (two sessions). Balkan Heritage. Excavation of the early Christian monastery-stronghold in Varna on Black Sea, Bulgaria

June 16-29, 2012. Balkan Heritage. The workshop will guide the participants through the history, techniques and consequent stages of archaeological study, conservation and documentation of Roman and Late Roman (first - sixth century AD) mosaics. Both the theoretical and practical courses will be based on authentic Roman mosaics / mosaic fragments found in the ancient city of Stobi – the capital of Macedonia Secunda.