Astypalaia bioarchaeology field school

APPLICATIONS FOR THE SUMMER 2025 FIELDSCHOOL NOW CLOSED

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Most years since 2010, the project has run a fieldschool each summer in our laboratory on the island of Astypalaia.   For further information follow links to other pages.  For details, please contact the project Director, simon.hillson@ucl.ac.uk

Normally, the fieldschool starts with 1 week of classes for all students, followed by supervised laboratory work in small groups on burials and finally working individually on a series of burials.  Every student carries through all stages of the excavation, conservation, cataloguing and recording process, closely supervised by highly experienced staff.  If you wish to apply for a student place, follow this link for application forms.  We accept students from a variety of subject backgrounds, both undergraduate and postgraduate, or people who graduated some time ago.  As the project has been running since 2000 our laboratory is very well equipped.  Our teaching is also well established with lectures, seminars and practical classes, together with detailed manuals developed specifically for the project, teaching replicas, a library and other supports for learning.

The Kylindra cemetery site offers a unique opportunity to learn about the excavation, conservation and study of young children's remains in an archaeological context.  The individual elements of these skeletons and dentitions differ a great deal from adult remains and are often seen as challenging, but our students become highly proficient at identifying even the tiniest elements, such as ear ossicles or the early-stage developing deciduous teeth.  The soil matrix of the burials is hard and we have had to develop novel ways to excavate, recover and conserve the remains, which also challenge our students and give them confidence for work on other sites.  They gain experience of a range of mapping, photographic and recording techniques which have wide application in both bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology.

Even before they arrive on Astypalaia, students are supported by email, a facebook group and a very detailed resources website with information not only about the project and field school, but also about Greece, food, travel and life on the island.  All the manuals and other teaching materials are available to students in advance.

Over 150 students have taken part in Astypalaia Field School since 2010 and many of them have successfully gone on to graduate studies and fieldwork in archaeology and anthropology.  We believe it provides a good basis of skills and knowledge and a chance to build confidence in a supportive group.  Student reviews of the Field School are very positive.

Download a brochure below