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Helpful Links

Eta Sigma Phi is a national classics honors society for students of Latin and/or Greek. The organization strives to promote an interest in and understanding of classical cultures and languages at the collegiate level. An invitation to join is an academic honor based on performance in an intermediate or advanced classical language course.

The Theta Pi chapter was established at Kenyon College in 2007. Since then, the organization has undertaken a broad range of initiatives to engage the college. In past years we have held readings of Vergil's "Aeneid" and other classical works, along with a weekly gathering over lunch to share in classical camaraderie. Community events have also been held to commemorate historical landmarks in the Greco-Roman world, such as the Battle of Marathon.

We plan to extend our sphere of influence beyond Kenyon. Members will be offering free weekly Latin tutoring sessions to local high school students in an attempt to foster a love for Classics at the secondary level. We have also reached out to chapters at neighboring institutions in hopes of uniting classical scholars within the region.

If you are a Classics major or enthusiast at Kenyon, welcome! When we discuss the Classical world, we are typically referring to modern Greece and Italy, but much of the land bordering the Mediterranean, western Europe, west Asia, and north Africa were touched by Greek and Roman civilizations. Therefore, there are many opportunities to study and work abroad in the classical world. This document is specifically dedicated to archaeological field schools. This list is not exhaustive, but lists established projects and placed to begin looking for fieldwork opportunities.

When exploring the opportunities below, please keep a few things in mind. First, is whether you are seeking course credit for participation in a field school. If so, you must talk to Kenyon’s study abroad office and look for phrases like “field school” and “transfer credit”. Second, is how much supervision you are seeking. If you enroll in a field school as a student, you will be more closely supervised than if you join a project as a volunteer. You may also not have as much support during your travel. If you are concerned about traveling abroad independently, you should perhaps not join a project as a volunteer. Third, the cost of participation in a field school should be a consideration. Some projects will cost more than others; some will have housing and food built into the cost, and some will expect you to figure those aspects out on your own. This leads to the final recommendation: always email before applying! Email the director of the project to inquire about any questions you may have. Some projects are canceled just days before digging may begin. It’s always a good idea to be in touch with the project director and ask about anything that may concern you.

Some of the websites linked below are field school or archaeological project aggregators, and some are the websites of the projects themselves. Once you have identified one or several opportunities you are interested in, talk to one of the Classics faculty about it. The academic network of Classical studies is close-knit, so there’s a good chance your faculty may know someone familiar with the project or its directors.

NOTE: Most excavations start making plans in January for the following summer. Doing your research early and making note of application due dates is very important. Most of the application dates fall in March and April, but some fall even earlier. If you are going to try to get course credit for participation in a summer study abroad program, you should get in touch with the Center for Global Studies early! 

archaeological.org

A great source that is (mostly) updated is archaeological.org, the website of the Archaeological Institute of America. Many field schools seeking students or projects seeking volunteers will advertise here, on the Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin. When navigating the projects listed on archaeological.org, pay close attention to the years listed! The website it not updated as often as we might like.

Balkan Heritage Field School

Balkan Heritage Field School is a popular collection of Field Schools. This is a great way to get experience in excavation or in archaeological conservation in Bulgaria or in North Macedonia, Greece or Israel. Available projects vary from year to year, but this is a reputable program.

IFR global 

IFR global is another Field School aggregator that offers opportunities around the Mediterranean in Croatia, Italy, Greece, etc. Available projects vary from year to year, but this is a reputable program.

Hellenic Education Research Center

If you are particularly interested in excavating in Greece, the Hellenic Education Research Center has several excavations and also study-abroad programs.

Melite Civitas Romana Project

This excavation in Malta is associated with University of South Florida and University of North Alabama.

Poggio Civitate Archaeological Project

This long-running excavation has a very good reputation and has produced many well-trained young archaeologists. Base in Siena, Italy.

Argilos

Argilos is another long-running excavation that has introduced many great archaeologists to field work. The Greek-Canadian project is on the coast of the north Aegean and includes a rather large team of students and scholars.

Despotiko Field School (CYA)

The Despotiko field school, which was been active since 2001, takes place in the Cyclades and is associated with the College Year in Athens study abroad program.

Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project

Lechaion is the site of an exciting new field school run by California State University Long Beach. Lechaion was the port of Corinth.

The Pompeii I.14 Project

This project, affiliated with Tulane University, is an amazing opportunity to excavate in Pompeii. The Project accepts applications from students of all levels. NOTE: The Deadline is December 15!

Gabii

The Gabii Project is a large, long-running field school. This project is associated with the University of Michigan and has produced many great archaeologists.