Workshop for Photogrammetry & 3D Archaeological Recording, North Macedonia 2025 (Balkan Heritage Field School)

Location: Archaeological Park Stobi, North Macedonia

Season: July 12, 2025 to July 26, 2025

Session Dates: July 12 - 26, 2025

Application Deadline: June 12, 2025

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: https://www.bhfieldschool.org/program/photogrammetry-workshop

Discount for AIA members: 5% discount off the regular admission fee

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
Balkan Heritage Foundation (BHF); New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria, National Institution Stobi, North Macedonia and Queen’s University, Canada

Project Director:
Dr. Angela Pencheva (Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology), Balkan Heritage Program Manager, Kristen Jones (MA in Classics & Archaeology; PhD Student, Department of Geography & Planning, Queen's University, Canada), Dr. George Bevan (PhD in Classics; Associate Professor at Queen’s University Department of Geography & Planning, Canada)

Project Description:

The Site and the Excavation Project

Why Stobi? The first historic records to mention Stobi belong to the Roman historian Titus Livy ( ca. 197 BCE). According to Livy, Stobi became an important center for salt trading after the Roman conquest of Macedonia and the establishment of Pax Romana. In 69 CE, Emperor Vespasian granted Stobi the rank of municipium and the right to mint its own coins. Stobi was not only an important salt trading center but also strategically located at the crossroads of the ancient roads that ran along the two rivers Axios (Vardar) and Erigon (Crna). The first road connected the North and South of the Balkans as it does today, while the second to the southwest connected Stobi with the Via Egnatia near Heraclea Lyncestis (present-day Bitola) and to the northeast continued to Serdica (present-day Sofia).

This commercial and strategic position brought Stobi long-term prosperity, especially in the period between the 1 st and 3rd centuries CE. Several monumental buildings in the city are dated to this period: the Theater, the first City Wall, Porta Heraclea, the Public Building with Arches (most probably the Stobi library), the Casa Romana, the Synagogue, as well as the water supply system. In 267 CE the city suffered from raids conducted by the Goths and Herules. At the end of the 3rd century CE, Stobi was devastated by an earthquake; it was later rebuilt but following a different urban plan. Most of the ruins visible today belong to buildings dating to this period.

In the 4 th century CE, Stobi became an important Christian center and the seat of powerful bishops. Late, in the 5 th- 6th centuries, Stobi was the capital city of the Roman province Macedonia Secunda, but suffered from the raids of Huns, Ostrogoths, Avars and Slavs. The constant threat of barbarian raids as well as certain climatic changes lead to the gradual abandonment of the city in the second half of the 6 th century CE. Some records mention a small Slavic community that settled and lived there in later centuries. The last historical reference regarding Stobi describes the victory of the Byzantine troops over Stobi’s local militia during the 11 th century CE.

Period(s) of Occupation: Roman and Late Roman

Notes:
The Balkan Heritage Foundation has been conducting an archaeological field school at Stobi since 2010. In 2025, a Photogrammetry Workshop will be opening that will introduce participants of all backgrounds to digital documentation techniques in the context of ongoing archaeological research. Photogrammetry is defined as the art and science of taking measurements from photographs. Over the course of 10 working days, participants will learn how to plan projects, collect data, and process results through a combination of lectures, workshops, and field training with real materials on-site and in a laboratory setting. This program will address computational photography and surveying for archaeological excavations starting from the basic optics of digital cameras and surveying instruments to combining these methods to collect data in the field and process it for various 3D results. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to contextualize a digital documentation workflow from start to finish. The Field School in 2025 Includes the Following Main Topics: -Technical Photography for Archaeological Excavations -Project Planning -Total Station Surveying -UAV Operations -Terrestrial Photogrammetry -Aerial Photogrammetry -Photogrammetric Data Processing -Data Analysis -Archaeological Drawing & Documentation The first week of the project will introduce students to the equipment, data collection, and processing workflows in the field and lab. In the second week, students will choose a project in groups to be undertaken from start to finish under supervision of the instructors.

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: two weeks

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: No experience is required. The participants should have medical insurance including COVID-19 treatment and repatriation. The participants should inform the project staff about any health issues, allergies, and food preferences.

Room and Board Arrangements:
Accommodation: Participants will be accommodated in the recently renovated air-conditioned cabins at the archaeological base next to the ancient ruins of Stobi, in rooms with two to three beds. Every cabin has 4 bedrooms and living room, 2 bathrooms with showers and WC. A washing machine and Wi-Fi are available for free at the site. Meals: Three meals (fresh, homemade food) per day are covered by the reimbursement payment. They usually take place (except for the lunch packages during the excursions) at the base's premises. Requests for vegetarian food are accepted. Specialized diets (vegan, kosher, gluten-free etc.) are difficult to maintain in this location. Participants must pay on their own for extra meals, beverages, services and products. There is no option for single room accommodation at Stobi.

Academic Credit:
New Bulgarian University grants 6 ECTS credits to students for attending the one-week session. Transcripts of Records (ToR) are available upon request.