Trasimeno Regional Archaeology Project Field School

Location: 06061 Castiglione del Lago, Province of Perugia, Italy

Season: May 26, 2026 to July 9, 2026

Application Deadline: February 26, 2026

Deadline Type: Exact Date

Website: https://www.umbra.org/archaeology-summer/

Discount for AIA members: N/A

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
Umbra Institute (Perugia), Italy and DePauw University (IN)

Project Director:
Rebecca K. Schindler

Project Description:

TRAP is an ongoing archaeological research project that seeks to document the human occupation in the territory of Castiglione del Lago (Umbria, Italy). Since 2015, the TRAP team has been recording archaeological sites in the territory and conducting targeted excavation at key Roman sites. During the six-week field school, students participate in all aspects of the archaeological research while learning about the history of the Etruscans and Romans in Central Italy. The academic program includes two courses taught by DePauw and Umbra faculty (ARCH 325: Archaeology in Central Italy: The Etruscan and Roman Heritage, and ARCH 350: Archaeology Field Workshop), as well as field trips to sites and museums in Umbria and Tuscany.

On a typical field day students will arrive at the site by 6:30 am, work on the excavation until about 1:30 pm, and then break for lunch. In the afternoon, depending on what needs to be done, students will return to the site or work on the processing and inventorying of the finds. On some days there will be lectures in the afternoons and/or the opportunity to digitize objects (photogrammetry), assist with the project GIS (Geographic Information System), or help with the museum plans.

In the summer of 2026, the team will continue the excavation of the south slope of the promontory of Castiglione del Lago. That site, called Via Belvedere, overlooks the lake and now appears to have been a sacred location for both the Etruscans and the Romans. In 2025, the TRAP team determined that the Etruscans had constructed a cobbled road along the slope leading towards the top of the promontory and that there were Etruscan buildings adjacent to the road. The artifacts recovered from around the structures and the monumental character of the road suggest that there was an Etruscan sanctuary on the promontory likely dating back to the 6th c. BCE. It was also discovered in 2025, that the Roman bath complex further down the slope was connected to a monumental fountain house that drew water from an underground spring. The scale of those features also indicates a public, likely religious, function for the Roman buildings.

Period(s) of Occupation: Etruscan and Roman Imperial

Notes:
Please see the Umbra Institute's web page for summer 2026 fees.

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 6 weeks

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: No experience is required for first-time participants.

Room and Board Arrangements:
Housing is included in the program fees. Students live in vacation apartments on the shore of Lago Trasimeno. Each unit houses two people and has its one bathroom and fully equipped kitchenette. There are grocery stores and many bars/restaurants within walking distance. The site is a 20 minute walk from the residence.

Academic Credit:
Students receive two course credits through the Umbra Institute.