Excavating in Ancient Thouria in the Peloponnese (Greece)

Location: 4362+G9 Thouria, Greece

Season: June 30, 2024 to July 13, 2024

Session Dates: June 30th-July 13th, 2024

Application Deadline: April 30, 2024

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: https://www.herc.gr/

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
Hellenic Education & Research Center (HERC)

Project Director:
Dr. Xeni Arapogianni Director Emerita of the Messenian Ephorate of Antiquities

Project Description:

Thouria, the Homeric city of Antheia, was the most important “perioikos polis” of western Messenia during Spartan domination.
Mentioned by both Thucydides and Pausanias, Thouria gained independence from Sparta in 369 BCE but was handed back to the Spartans by Augustus in later times. The excavations at the Classical-Hellenistic site begun in 2007 under the Director Emerita of the Ephorate of Antiquities Dr. Xeni Arapogianni. The excavations so far have brought to light significant remains of public and sacred buildings, including a sanctuary of Asclepius and a large-scale theater (https://anaskafesthourias.gr/en/).

Students will work at the excavation during weekdays from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm. This will include excavation, archaeological method and practice, pottery cleaning and archaeological drawing.

In the afternoon classes on archaeological method and technique will take place and on how historical evidence is extracted from archaeological objects. Selected literary texts and inscriptions will be read along with lectures on the history and archaeology of Thouria and Messenia. Students who have no knowledge of Ancient Greek will read the texts of inscriptions in translation. If there are enough students enrolled with knowledge of Ancient Greek several Ancient Greek literary texts and inscriptions will be read in the original.

Scheduled fieldtrips will take students to the archaeological museum of Messenia and to the famed beaches of the Messenian Gulf for swimming and relaxation.

From Kalamata there is frequent bus connection to all parts of the Peloponnese for weekend travel and it is a 2.5 hours drive from Athens.

 

Period(s) of Occupation: Late Classical, Hellenistic and Roman (4th c. BCE - 5th c. CE)

Notes:
Ancient Thouria, Messenia, Kalamata, Peloponnese, Greece

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: Full length of program

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: None

Room and Board Arrangements:
Students will share apartments and/or hotel rooms near the excavation site. The program fee includes daily breakfast, snacks taken to the excavation site for the break (ca. 10am), a welcome dinner, and a farewell dinner.

Academic Credit:
Recommended credit: 4 credits offered by applicant's home institution. The program fee is €2,500 (Euros) and includes tuition, accommodation, field trips and the meals stated in "Room and Board".