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Trasimeno Archaeology Field School

The Umbra Institute in Perugia

Field Work Experience

Unearth

the Past

Castiglione del Lago

Your Home in Italy

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Trasimeno Archaeology Field School, based in nearby Castiglione del Lago on the shores of Lake Trasimeno between Umbria and Tuscany, provides a curricular concentration in Archaeology and History. This six-week program begins with student arrival and pick-up from the Rome airport and transfer to Perugia for the welcome dinner. After orientation, the group is brought to nearby Castiglione del Lago where they live for the duration of the program. This location was chosen for its wonderfully hospitable community and its jurisdiction and proximity to the archaeological site. Student time will be allocated between on-site work (at the newly discovered ruins of a Roman Villa on Lake Chiusi), in-class lessons, extra-curricular activities in Castiglione and Perugia, and field trips. At the end of the program, students will be transferred to Perugia for a farewell festa and taken by private bus to the Rome airport for departure.
Program dates are provided on the academic calendar.

 

 

ON-SITE STUDY

The Field School consists of two courses, one theoretical and one practical, both based in Castiglione del Lago with daily work on the archeaological site. The program aims to provide you with a comprehensive overview of up-to-date theories and methods of archaeological research and fieldwork as applied to the civilizations that shaped the history and culture of central Italy. The two core courses are:

ARCH 325: Archaeology in Central Italy: the Etruscan and Roman Heritage
This course will introduce you to the region’s history and heritage, as context for archaeological research. It also provides a theoretical background for the summer program’s learning and training. Course credit: 3

ARCH 350: Archaeological Field Workshop
This course is an archaeology practicum whereby students work on the site alongside a professional archaeological staff. Students gain fundamental skills of archaeological research and apply them over the course of the project. Course credit: 3

The last three years of campaigns in the territory of Castiglione del Lago have revealed significant archaeological remains, including a Roman building complex and a possible Roman road. The goal of the campaign as a whole is to assess the original pattern of human impact in the entire territory, and understand its development since antiquity.

Umbra Institute’s mission is to develop our students’ expertise in the full range of methods and processes employed in a complete archaeological project, from research design and preliminary survey of the territory, to methods of data collection in the field and digging, to the cataloging and display of archaeological remains. Investigating the archaeological heritage of this landscape, our project provides an instructive example of how different civilizations built upon one another in the same geographic area.

 

COURSES

Both the course and workshop are mandatory and have no prerequisites. They include field trips to various archaeological and cultural sites, including an overnight trip to Rome. The field trips are designed to enhance your understanding of the territory’s history, while also providing the opportunity to study and visit neighboring archaeological sites and major museum collections.

https://www.umbra.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/arc-etrusco.jpg
Explore Roman & Etruscan Archeology

ARCH 325: Archaeology in Central Italy: the Roman and Etruscan Heritage

https://www.umbra.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/field-school-dig.jpg
Hands-On Experience at Roman Dig

ARCH 350: Archaeological Field Workshop

ARCH 325: Archaeology in Central Italy: the Roman and Etruscan Heritage

Explore Roman & Etruscan Archeology

ARCH 325: Archaeology in Central Italy: the Roman and Etruscan Heritage

Course Description
Archaeology is the study of past civilizations through their material remains. This archaeological material includes anything left behind by ancient people, from buildings to coins. Most of these objects were not left behind on purpose, but rather were thrown away, lost, or abandoned as a result of the natural course of life or due to natural or man-made change. Archeological remains have to be interpreted; the real challenge of archaeological research is to “tell a story” from these objects.

The course provides insight into theories and methods in archaeological research, data collection, and analysis. The objective is to familiarize you with the strategies employed in the investigation of archaeological records. The theoretical section aims to approach the discipline from different points of view. We will focus on the history of Archaeology in Italy, its origins and development, and the theories and methods of classical archaeology. Next, you will learn about a variety of Etruscan and Roman sites as case studies. The course includes visits to local archaeological museums and other sites of interest.

In accordance to Umbra Institute’s philosophy, one of the Trasimeno Archaeology Field School goals is to create a stronger and more productive bond with the local community. For this reason, part of the course will be spent in building long-term cooperation with all actors who are interested in the recovery and development of the archaeological heritage of the region.

Course Objectives
In this course you will learn about:

  • Major archaeological theories;
  • Ancient history of Italy (more specifically, Etruscan and Roman history); 
  • Basic archaeological field methods and their application in the Italian context.

Course Materials
Mandatory course reader

ARCH 350: Archaeological Field Workshop

Hands-On Experience at Roman Dig

ARCH 350: Archaeological Field Workshop

Course Description
This course will employ on-site learning on how to design an archaeological survey and how to use sophisticated GPS (Global Positioning System) equipment in conjunction with computerized mapping techniques (GIS) to document the location of archaeological finds. Based on these results, fieldwork may include stratigraphic excavation. In the next step, you will also learn how to process, analyze, and interpret materials collected from the survey (or possible excavation).

All modern archaeology begins with a wide range of non-destructive reconnaissance techniques to locate and characterize archaeological sites (e.g., aerial imagery, geophysical prospection, and intensive survey). By mapping and recording previously unknown and undocumented sites, we help preserve the past from destruction by development and looting. This is ethically responsible and sustainable archaeology. After data has been collected (through survey, digging or both), it is processed and studied to form a coherent narrative that explains the history of a site as we have come to know it, and is then openly shared through publication.

The Trasimeno Archaeology Field School aims to structure a long-term project, based on this holistic approach to current strategies of research.

Daily activities for the archaeological practicum include lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practice from pre-fieldwork preparation to post-fieldwork processing of data, including work with ceramics and other small finds. Field trips led by the faculty will take students to other archaeological sites and museums, providing historical and geographical context to the field training.

Course Objectives
In this course, you will learn about:

  • Archaeological field methods;
  • Problems faced by the preservation of the archaeological record;
  • How to “read” material remains of the ancient Roman world.

 

Service Learning Project
In accordance to Umbra Institute’s philosophy, one of the Trasimeno Archaeology Field School goals is to create a stronger and more productive bond with the local community. For this reason, part of the course will be spent in building long-term cooperation with all actors who are interested in the recovery and development of the archaeological heritage of the region.

Course Materials
Mandatory course reader. Tools for field work will be available on site.

THE EXCAVATION SITE

The fieldwork takes place at a recently discovered archaeological find located on the shores of Lake Chiusi, on the Umbrian-Tuscan border just a few miles from Castiglione del Lago and Lake Trasimeno. On fieldwork days, a private bus will take students, faculty, and staff to the site for a full-day’s work and research. Lunch is on-site, and students return home in the mid-afternoon. Alternating days will be spent in class, at the local museum, or on field trips to nearby sites of interest.

This archaeological site was has yet to be fully mapped and explored. Preliminary findings indicate the presence of a Roman villa, including thermal infrastructures, mosaics, and a possible Roman road. The Archaeological Field School is a long-term project run in cooperation with local institutions. Every summer, students contribute to the uncovering of the site and the display of artifacts in the expanding archaeological museum of Castiglione del Lago. Join us this summer to explore this exciting discovery and unearth the secrets that lie beneath as we travel back to the time of ancient Rome.

GOOGLE MAPS LOCATION

Note: Participating in an archaeological campaign is exciting work, but it is also sometimes tiring and challenging. It is important that you are ready and fit for outdoor physical activity. The typical day starts early in the morning and runs until mid-afternoon.

STUDENT LIFE

Castiglione del Lago is a charming medieval town in Umbria, located on top of a small peninsula along the southwestern shores of Lake Trasimeno. A member of the prestigious I Borghi più Belli d’Italia Association (The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy), Castiglione is situated between renowned historical cities, such as Orvieto, Chiusi, Arezzo, Cortona, and Perugia. All Field School participants will stay in Castiglione during the summer term, only a few miles away from Perugia and easily accessible by bus or train. Program participants live in modernly furnished studio apartments (2-3 students each) a short walk from the lake shore, supermarkets and all other important venues. All apartments include fully-equipped kitchens.

In line with Umbra’s traditional focus on community engagement, field school participants will have the opportunity to enjoy day-to-day life as a local and experience the ambiance of an Italian town. A renowned summer location, Castiglione is an international venue for relaxing vacations, swimming and sun-bathing on its beaches, or for practicing a variety of sports: cycling, sailing, wind- and kite-surfing, and canoeing. The beautiful hills surrounding the area offer opportunities for hiking, mountain-biking, and horseback riding. Bus and train services connect Castiglione to other cities, including Rome and Florence, making it easy to travel over weekends.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The Archaeological Field School is collaborative and aims to involve the community of Castiglione del Lago in a long-term relationship. As part of the project, students cooperate with the local archaeological museum to enhance its visibility and impact.

LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

The Trasimeno Archaeology Field School is run by the Umbra Institute in cooperation with the Archeological Superintendency of Umbria, with the Comune of Castiglione del Lago and the Archeological Research Company Intrageo.

SPONSORS

The Trasimeno Archaeology Field School is run by the Umbra Institute in cooperation with the Archeological Superintendency of Umbria, with the Comune of Castiglione del Lago and the Archeological Research Company Intrageo. The program also collaborates with DePauw University and ISI Florence to receive participants from various colleges and universities across the United States.

PROGRAM FEES

$6,375.00

Fee Includes:
Academic program, airport transfers, housing in residential hotel in Castiglione del Lago, orientation and welcome dinner (at a local restaurant), Resident Director and site coordinator, help desk and 24-hour support/assistance, residential hotel facilities (bbq, poool, etc.) , Umbra-sponsored cultural activities, transportation to/from dig site, daily refreshments (on-site), official transcript.

Program Fees do NOT Include:
Airfare to/from Rome, meals, lab fees (€ 250), textbooks, and personal expenses.
Lab fees cover field trips and excursions, museum entrance fees, overnight trip to Rome, farewell dinner.

 

HOW TO APPLY

Deadline for application is April 19th, 2020. To receive additional information or to be contacted by an Umbra representative. Applying is easy. Just click the APPLY NOW button and your adventure begins!

DISCOVER MORE!

Inquiry form

We invite prospective students to complete the form below with any questions regarding the program or application process. If you are a professor and would like to submit your CV, please fill in the form with a brief description of your academic focus and objectives; we will then contact you for more information.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any and all questions or queries you may have.

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