Petroto Archaeological & Palaeoenvironmental Program

Location: Petroto, Trikala, Greece

Season: July 21, 2025 to August 9, 2025

Application Deadline: April 30, 2025

Deadline Type: Contact for Details

Program Type:
Field School, Volunteer

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
Greek Ministry of Culture

Project Director:
Dr. M. Vaiopoulou, Dr. A. Gkotsinas

Project Description:

The Petroto Archaeological and Palaeoenvironmental Project (Pe.Ar.Pe.P.) is an interdisciplinary research and excavation program focused on the Bronze Age site of Petroto (3200-1100 BC), located in the regional unit of Trikala in Thessaly, Central Greece. The site has been systematically excavated since 2011 by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, under the direction of Dr. Maria Vaiopoulou, archaeologist and director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Karditsa.

The aim of the project is to shed light on the structure, organization, economy, and evolution of Petroto society from the Early Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age, which corresponds to the Palatial period of the Mycenaean world. To date, fifteen buildings and forty-four burials have been discovered, dated from Early Helladic II to Late Helladic IIIC. Additionally, a range of studies have been conducted, including traditional archaeology (pottery, stratigraphy, architecture), environmental archaeology (archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, geology), and funeral archaeology, among others. Scientific methods, such as C14 dating, thermoluminescence (TL), and isotope analysis, have also been applied.

Volunteers are welcome to participate in excavation, study, and conservation efforts both in the field and in the Petroto Archaeological Project’s laboratory. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to attend lectures and workshops on archaeology, pottery, archaeometallurgy, zooarchaeology, archaeobotany, and osteology.

Period(s) of Occupation: Bronze Age: 3200-1100 BC

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 3 week

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: No

Room and Board Arrangements:
Volunteers will stay at Petroto village, 2 km away for the site. One meal included. For more details contact pe.ar.pe.p25@gmail.com