Excavation in the Athenian Agora Volunteer Program
2023 Summer Season
Deadline: December 16, 2022
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens conducts a program for volunteers wishing to participate in the archaeological excavations of the Athenian Agora during the summer. Approximately fifteen to twenty-five volunteers are chosen on the basis of academic qualifications and previous archaeological field experience. Undergraduate applications are welcome, although priority is given to graduate students preparing for professional careers in classical archaeology.
Work of the Volunteer Staff
The Volunteer Staff 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. Volunteers will be trained in the basic techniques of excavation: working with various tools; cleaning and investigating stratigraphy; delicate cleaning of artifacts in the ground; sifting of excavated earth and techniques of flotation; washing and basic conservation of pottery and other objects; clerical work involved in the keeping of excavation records, among other duties. Students will also receive training in various scientific methods and techniques. Tasks will be assigned in rotation, and volunteers are expected to participate in all of them. Room and a modest allowance for board are provided for the time volunteers are working at the excavations. Travel arrangements to and from Greece are the responsibility of each volunteer.
The Summer Season
The excavations are planned for eight weeks, June 12 to August 4. Fieldwork is in progress five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a 30-minute break at midmorning, and some post-excavation duties will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteers are expected to be on the site during these hours and to work at the excavations for a minimum of six weeks. Students from institutions on the quarter system will not be penalized and are able to come as soon as they can (preferably no later than June 19, 2023). There will also be a limited number of spaces for students wishing to come for four weeks (beginning either June 12 or July 10, 2023).
Applicants can expect to receive notification after March 3, 2023.
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