AAP: Field School

This Davidson College sponsored program trains students in archaeological field methods and techniques and introduces them to the rich history and culture of the island of Cyprus, uniquely situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Participants in the program in 2011 will join the Athienou Archaeological Project in its 21st campaign year. The Project involves excavation at the site of Malloura (occupied from the Geometric through Ottoman periods - 8th century B.C. to 19th century A.D.) and field survey of the surrounding valley in south central Cyprus. Participants attend seminars led by faculty and resident or guest specialists, complete an independent research project, and visit archaeological sites (e.g., Amathus, Kition, Idalion, Kourion, Paphos) and museums. Students live in the small town of Athienou and learn about life in modern Cyprus.

Student Participants: undergraduates with serious interest in archaeology and a high GPA are invited to apply. (Minorities and women are particularly encouraged.) Students will receive instruction in regional archaeological survey, topographic and site mapping (including remote sensing and computer-assisted mapping), excavation techniques, record keeping and computer data management, artifact analysis, and other aspects of archaeological field and lab research. Each student will plan and complete an independent research project under the supervision of AAP's faculty and specialists.
A three-day break in the program gives students the opportunity, if they wish, to visit Mediterranean destinations close to the island.

Dates: The 2011 season of the AAP will run from June 4 to July 16, 2011.

Cost of the Program: Tuition & fees, transportation to and from the site, bus excursions to other sites and museums, room & board, and one Davidson College credit course (= four semester hours) are set at U.S. $4,000. Several $500 scholarships will be available. Transatlantic air travel, estimated at $1,200 - $1,400, is to be arranged by the student.

Application Deadline: Completed applications, academic transcripts, and two recommendation letters must be received by March 31st, 2011. Please send application materials directly to Prof. Toumazou; the application itself must be submitted on line.

Time and Place: June 4 - July 13, 2011; Athienou, Cyprus

Instructors: Drs. Michael K. Toumazou, Derek B. Counts, P. Nick Kardulias; lectures by specialists

Course Description: Intensive, on-site training in archaeological field methods and techniques. In addition to daily instruction on excavation and recording there will be lectures by specialists on a variety of topics such as archaeological reconnaissance, topographical surveying, stratigraphy, dating methods, metallurgy, and conservation. The course will also include a comprehensive survey of Cypriote history, art, and archaeology from the Neolithic period to the Modern era. Visits to archaeological sites and museums give the student a broader perspective on the cultural and historical background of the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Textbooks: C. Renfrew & P. Bahn. Archaeology Essentials (2nd edt.), Thames & Hudson, 2011.
D. Hunt, ed., Footprints in Cyprus (2nd edt.), Trigraph: London, 1990; students may purchase this book in Cyprus or simply use copies in the AAP library.

Books on Reserve: AAP possesses a small research library with academic titles as well as guides to the major archaeological sites and museums of the island; these are available to students for further reading and research. Most substantial research, however, is to be undertaken at the Library of the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI) in Nicosia on your 'off-days'.

Student Evaluation:

Daily Journal. Students will maintain a daily record of field activities. Entries should cover excavation strategies and methodology, observations of local stratigraphy and finds, and interpretation;
25% of the final grade.

Field Proficiency. Aptitude and cooperation with area supervisors and directors;
20% of the final grade.

Site Report. Students will present a 10-15 minute report on an assigned topic related to a specific site visited;
10% of the final grade.

Research Paper. Students will be expected to undertake an independent research project on a topic often related to a particular aspect of the project (e.g., statuary, burials, architecture). The papers should be 10-12 pages in length, and, ideally, submitted electronically to Prof. Toumazou by July 25th;
25% of the final grade.

Final Exam. A comprehensive 2-hour written exam on all material covered in the course;
20% of the final grade.

*Students must comply with the Davidson College Honor Code in all matters pertaining to this field school.

	Summer sunrise in Athienou occurs around 4:30 or 5:00 AM. Closer to 6:00 your alarm will go off and a bit after you'll hear an AAP vehicle's horn summoning you outside. (Don't worry: this routine is as easy to settle into as any, coming off a plane from the states.) If you're the ambitious type you've perhaps had a breakfast of fresh eggs; otherwise you'll grab some bread and jam for the ride.
Around 6:30 you'll arrive at the site, pull out your tools, and set to work with the day's excavation. Teams of four or five students work under supervisors in particular excavation units (EUs, or trenches). Pits (from looters) are excavated separately from stratified soil, which is excavated in stratigraphic units (SUs). All dirt is sifted for small specimens, and objects are photographed and documented in situ.
	The first person to notice it's become 9 am yells "Cookie Break!" and all the trowels are laid down. People alternate providing for their trenches, and cookie break is as likely to be fresh fruit or frappés as cookies and lemonade. Around 11:30 you'll see the AAP truck come barrelling toward the site in front of a cloud of dust, which signifies the arrival of lunch. Lunch at the site is generally sandwiches, and is always punctuated with two carpuzzis, which are a staple you'll definitely miss when you leave Cyprus.
Around 2:00 you'll pack up and leave the site to head back to the lab. There you'll spend time washing the pottery you've dug up that day and occasionally doing some data entry and record keeping. This is also the time when you could have the opportunity to watch and learn from the specialists working at the project, like the ceramicist or conservator.
	The time from 4-7:00 PM is your own. Most of us like to shower now — Malloura's got lots of dust — and take a bit of a siesta. Some people take this time to do some errands or go for a run (by late afternoon the temperature has cooled down a good bit).
On certain days during the week you'll attend lectures by the staff and various visiting specialists. Topics range from Cypriot history (from the prehistoric to modern eras), to archaeological methods and technology, to specialty presentations by numismatists and osteologists.
	Dinner is about 8:30, and varies among Greek and Cypriot dishes from local restaurants — mezé, gyros, souvlaki, sheftalia (a type of sausage), halloumi (Cypriot cheese) — and those cooked at the Palace (AAP's dig/staff house). After dinner you'll be free to wander Athienou and patronize the many local cafes.
	On Sundays the whole group piles into bus for field trips. On any given trip we visit several other archaeological sites, churches, monasteries, or museums. Many trips conclude with a few hours at one of Cyprus' many picturesque beaches or mountain towns.
Mondays are days off, but you'll find most of the field school students in Lefkosia, either performing research in the air-conditioned library of the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI) or exploring what Cyprus' capital city has to offer.

Field School General Information

Course Description

A Day in the Life at AAP