2026 (Winter) Lakeshore Archaeology at the Site of La Pescara, Italy

Location: Lake Bracciano, Italy

Season: January 2, 2026 to January 31, 2026

Application Deadline: December 6, 2025

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: https://www.fieldsciences.org/program/2026-italy-pescara/

Discount for AIA members: No

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
Sapienza - University of Rome, University of Michigan, center for Field Sciences

Project Director:
Dr. Federico Nomi, Sapienza - University of Rome & University of Michigan

Project Description:

Lake Bracciano (Province of Lazio, central Italy) is a crossroads of civilizations, with long a history of human occupation, cultural contact and long-distance exchange. This volcanic lake, formed in the crater of the Sabatini Mountains complex, houses diverse archaeological remains, from the submerged Neolithic village of La Marmotta , with its ancient canoes and wooden tools, to the Roman villas overlooking the lake’s shoreline, built for leisure and the exploitation of local resources. This field school is part of a long-term research project, exploring trajectories of pan-Mediterranean cultural connectivity, human-environment interaction and geological change within the Sabatini Basin. The project involves archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists, and landscape scholars.

This field school focused on the excavations of the site of La Pescara, located on the southern shore of Lake Bracciano. During our initial survey, we determined that La Pescara is a deeply stratified, multi-layered site, with occupation starting during the Neolithic Period (7-6 millennia BCE), through Bronze and Iron Age occupations (4-2 millennia BCE), culminating with a Roman Villa near the surface. We began excavating La Pescara in 2023 and will continue excavation and documentation until we reach sterile sediments below the Neolithic deposits.
In an era of profound environmental transformations and urban pressures, making the past known also means protecting it and putting it at the service of local communities, sustainable tourism, and cultural education. Our goal is to explore the cultural heritage of the Sabatini Basin but also to develop archaeological sites for tourism and preservation, helping to make them a resource worth keeping instead of an obstacle of contemporary development.

Period(s) of Occupation: Neolithic through Roman Period

Notes:
Tuition cost is $4.950; Program awards 8 semester credit units (equivalent to 12 quarter credits units) through our school of record – Culver-Stockton College.

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: Full Session

Minimum Age: 18 years old

Experience Required: None. This is hands-on, experiential learning and students will study on-site how to conduct archaeological research. Fieldwork involves physical work and exposure to the elements and thus requires a measure of understanding that this will not be the typical university learning environment. You will have to work outdoors and will get sweaty, dirty, and tired. Students are required to come equipped with sufficient excitement and adequate understanding that fieldwork requires real, hard work, in the sun and dust. In accordance with Italian Superintendency regulations, each participant must submit a letter from their primary care physician confirming they are medically fit to handle these conditions. The certificate must also confirm that the participant received a mandatory tetanus vaccination or an up-to-date booster.

Room and Board Arrangements:
Casale Colle dei Pini (https://www.casalecolledeipini.com/) is a 20th-century farmhouse nestled in the Roman countryside, just a stone’s throw from Lake Bracciano. It is a peaceful and convenient location from which to reach Rome and explore all the attractions of the Bracciano and Martignano Regional Natural Park. It is located in the countryside north of Rome (30 km), just a short distance from Anguillara Sabazia (2 km), Lake Bracciano (5 km), and Lake Martignano (9 km). Its strategic location, immersed in peaceful surroundings, is the perfect starting point for enjoying spectacular walking and cycling trails that make it easy to explore the area. The apartment is comfortable and divided into 5 private bedrooms on the upper floor, where bed linens, duvets, and towels are provided to ensure a pleasant stay. There is also a walk-through room/living area with a sofa bed. The sleeping area is served by 3 shared full bathrooms and an additional service bathroom on the ground floor. Guests have access to a fully equipped kitchen for preparing meals independently, along with a multifunction coffee machine for breakfast. Meals will be provided on working days and during field trips by the mission, either through an in-house kitchen service or takeaway. On Sundays, participants will have the freedom to use the mission's kitchen independently or explore other dining options throughout Etruria or in Rome.

Academic Credit:
Program awards 8 semester credit units (equivalent to 12 quarter credits units) through our school of record – Culver-Stockton College.