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The Basic Field School
This course is designed for students who have taken a course in Greek
archaeology but have had little or no field experience. The aim of the
basic field school is to explore the archaeology of Greece focusing on the
Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. The main elements of the field school will
consist of participation in all parts of the Mitrou excavation in the
mornings, afternoon lectures and seminars, and trips to archaeological
sites and museums on the weekends. The excavation at Mitrou, a tidal islet
on the North Euboean Gulf in central Greece, will answer questions about
the development of prehistoric culture and civilization in East Lokris and
about the relationship of this area to the rest of Greece and the Aegean.
The members of the field school will
play an integral role in the excavation and surface survey of Mitrou and
the processing of the material found there. Students will learn to use
high-tech equipment, such as the Total Station, which records the exact
location and elevation of artefacts, structures and strata.
By participating fully in these
activities, students will learn all facets of the excavation of a site
including digging techniques, recording techniques, sediment analysis,
stratigraphy, and the creation and study of stratigraphic units. Students
will also spend some time in the storeroom and learn to process artifacts.
Mitrou staff members will lecture on their areas of specialization in the
afternoons, with topics ranging from subdisciplines of archaeology such as
pottery analysis, lithic analysis, zooarchaeology, and ethnobotany, to
general cultural history of Ancient Greece. Seminar discussions will contextualize
the finds from Mitrou and the methods employed in their interpretation
within the broad discipline of archaeology. The field trips will focus
mainly on Bronze Age sites, including the major prehistoric sites of
Mycenae, Tiryns, Lerna, Thebes, and Lefkandi, and will enable the students
to understand the cultural importance of Mitrou and East Lokris in Aegean
prehistory. We will also include visits to major Greek historic sites such
as Athens, Delphi, and the Thermopylai to give students a diachronic view
of cultural developments in Greece.
Prerequisites:
At least one course in Greek archaeology
Consent of instructor
Download MAP
Field School Application Form
Room and Board arrangements
Students will stay in shared hotel rooms in the village of Tragana. Lunch
and dinner will be provided at local restaurants and other arrangements
will be made for breakfast. Fees include all room and board costs, as well
as travel within Greece but do not include travel to Greece. Tragana offers
access to a lovely beach, a mini-post office, payphones, cafes,
restaurants, bakery, convenience stores, souvlaki place, and very friendly
people.
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