The Classics & Archaeology Department hosts three international excavation projects, two in Italy, Caere and Sardinia, and the other in the Republic of North Macedonia (Stobi). Students can apply to participate in these excavations as volunteers (no credit) or for credit toward their degree. Information about the upcoming dig season and respective application deadlines are made available in the early to mid-fall term. Please see each of our programs below for details.
Nora Excavation Project
CLST 408 - Archaeology Fieldwork Practicum I - Sardinia, Italy
Archaeological Excavation of the Roman city of Nora, in Sardinia, Italy; directed by Dr. Cristiana Zaccagnino (Queen's University Classics Department).
Caere Excavation Project
CLST 409 - Archaeological Fieldwork Practicum II - Italy
Archaeological Excavation of an Etruscan city in central Italy, directed by Dr. Fabio Colivicchi (Queen's University Classics Department). Cerveteri is a town on the West coast of Italy, 48 km North of Rome, which lies on the site of the Etruscan city of Cisra, called Caere by the Romans. Caere was one of the metropoleis of the ancient Mediterranean, a rich and powerful city that was an ally of Carthage and developed good relationships with its southern neighbors the Romans. The site is famous for its necropolis of rock-cut tombs imitating houses complete with carved furniture and decorations, recently listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Many of the most famous Etruscan artworks, such as the Sarcophagus of the Spouses, were found in the tombs of Caere. While the cemetery has early attracted scholarly attention, the exploration of the city has begun much later. Though some sanctuaries are known, the general plan of the city is still largely unknown.
Balkan Heritage Project
CLST 412 & 413 - Archaeological Fieldwork Practicum III - Republic of North Macedonia
Enroll in a workshop on advanced digital photographic documentation of artifacts and architecture (RTI and Photogrammetry) at the archaeological site of the Hellenistic, Roman, and Late Roman city of Stobi, in the Republic of North Macedonia. Stobi was a significant urban centre in Antiquity and the capital of the Roman province Macedonia Secunda in Late Antiquity.