This is a mandatory courses for returning students of the TRASIMENO ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL

Course Description

The Trasimeno Archaeology Field School is a long-term project based on a holistic approach to research that integrates geographical and chronological spectra of data about human activity in the past, from regional to local scale, and from prehistory to the early modern period. In addition, the project is dedicated to understanding the dynamic human-environmental and intercultural relationships that shaped (and continue to shape) this sensitive area.

Students returning to the Trasimeno Archaeology Field School (alumni/ae) or pre-approved experienced undergraduates will have had a solid foundation of archaeological training and experience prior to this course. In this course, they will be responsible for helping manage the operations of the project, including supervising and recording excavation areas (‘trenches’), organizing group work by first-time students, assisting with equipment and supplies, and carrying out whatever regular archaeological tasks need doing as the project progresses.

Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand how to carry out (and teach to new students) basic archaeological survey functions, such as GPS and GIS, to document the location of archaeological finds.;
• Supervise new students in the excavation of an archaeological site using the stratigraphic method;
• Organize and instruct new students in the recording procedures (photography, context sheets; section, plan, and feature drawing; site maps) for an archaeological excavation;
• Recover, identify, interpret, and help document artifacts and features, contexts and stratigraphy from their excavation area;
• Help the directors prepare basic reports (documentation of inventory and field results.

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.