THE AMERICAN EXCAVATIONS AT MORGANTINA

CONTRADA AGNESE PROJECT (CAP)

25 JUNE – 20 JULY, 2018

Applications from undergraduate and graduate students are now being accepted.

The deadline for applications is 15 January 2018. Apply Now.

 

The 2018 Excavation Project:

The focus of our 2018 excavations will be the Southeast Building, a house (we think!) of Hellenistic date that was once located on the periphery of ancient Morgantina in an area known as the Contrada Agnese. The CAP team began excavating this building in 2014. Previous excavations in the area of the Contrada Agnese have revealed the presence of two monumental bathing complexes and another house of Hellenistic date. Our work aims to shed light on the lives of those who occupied this portion of the ancient city.

Volunteers will participate in all aspects of the archaeological fieldwork under the supervision of a staff of field archaeologists and technical experts, all of whom have extensive field experience and advanced academic training in Classical Archaeology and/or Archaeological Sciences. Volunteers will work primarily with one of our field teams to carefully excavate portions of a Hellenistic/Roman building, located along the northern side of the city block. In addition to participating in the on-site excavations, volunteers will also have many opportunities to develop additional skills by collaborating with CAP staff responsible for geospatial analysis, architectural survey, object conservation, environmental analysis, and database management.

 

2018 Season Dates:

The 2018 excavation season will take place over the course of four weeks from Monday, 25 June to Friday, 20 July. We work five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm with a cookie break at mid-morning and an hour for lunch at noon. Volunteers should be prepared to stay and work for the entire season.

Costs:

Volunteers pay no program fees, but are responsible for providing their own international medical insurance and covering personal travel costs to and from Aidone (Sicily). Volunteers should budget additional money for snacks, personal items, weekend meals, and optional travel during the weekends. All volunteers will receive room and board (3 meals, M-F) in Aidone for the duration of the project.

 

Morgantina + Aidone:

The ancient city of Morgantina is situated on the Serra Orlando ridge, near the modern town of Aidone in the central Sicilian province of Enna. Overlooking the fertile plain of Catania, the site was actively settled from the Bronze Age until the Early Roman Principate. American-led excavations at Morgantina were initiated in 1955 by two professors from Princeton University, Erik Sjöqvist and Richard Stillwell. For more information about ancient Morgantina and the American Excavations, please visit: www.morgantina.org.

The U.S. project is based in the quaint, hillside town of Aidone, two kilometers from the archaeological site of Morgantina and about 70 kilometers inland from Catania. Aidone (population ca. 3,000) is located in the province of Enna, not far from the large town of Piazza Armerina (known for the nearby late Roman villa with its many mosaics).

 

Please keep in mind:

Participating on an archaeological excavation is a rewarding and unforgettable experience. Exciting discoveries are made, enduring friendships are forged, and delicious pasta is consumed, all under the blue Mediterranean sky. However, there are also risks involved when participating in an archaeological excavation. We work during the summer months, when the Mediterranean climate is hot and dry. Moreover, work on the archaeological site is often strenuous and requires both physical exertion and mental acuity. Because archaeological excavation involves hard physical work in a hot summer climate, it is important to first consider any known medical conditions which might be aggravated by fieldwork before applying.

For more information, please contact CAP Director, Prof. Alex Walthall (aemcap55@gmail.com).

 

The 2017 CAP Team in Aidone