Europe/Mediterranean - Cyprus - Lycoming College Expedition to Idalion, Cyprus

Volunteers may choose to come for any amount of time from 2-7 weeks. Volunteers who come for 7 weeks pay for only 6.

The Idalion field School is located in the town of Dhali, Cyprus, 12 miles south of the capital, Nicosia, and 14 miles from the sea.

Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA.
website: Lycoming.edu.

4 credits

Tuition for college credit is arranged through Lycoming College directly.
Volunteers pay 300Euros per week including room, board, and instruction

SEE ABOVE

If volunteers choose to accompany students on field trips (every week) there is a 30 Euro charge for each field trip.
Any weekend food and travel is up to the individual.

Pamela Gaber has been excavating at Idalion in Cyprus since 1972 when she first went as a graduate student. since 1987 when she was teaching at the University of New Hampshire. In 1992 the dig affiliated with the University of Arizona when Dr. Gaber began teaching there. From 1992 through 2002 Idalion hosted the University of Arizona Field School which affiliated with various other universities' practicums. During those seasons Pam had the opportunity to observe how requiring students to do library research during a field season actually removed students’ time and attention from field archaeology. Reasoning that students have ample opportunity to do library research and produce term papers when they are back at their home institutions in North America and Europe, she resolved to do away with research assignments in the field school.
In their place she decided to add to the number of visiting lectures by other archaeologists, and to add to students’ requirements for directing trench operations.
As it stands now there are two lectures every week and a field trip to other sites every Friday. Invariably there are field tours delivered by archaeologists involved in work on the sites visited.
Dr. Gaber continues her emphasis on training students in excavation techniques, recording, and interpretation. By the end of a season field school students each run a trench for 3 days (with the supervisor looking over their shoulders). That includes primary responsibility for recording, tagging, measuring, drawing, and consulting on tactical decisions. Dr. Gaber now believes that the Lycoming College Field School at Idalion offers students optimal field training.
Indeed, a student who achieves an ‘A’ in the Idalion field school and is recommended by Pam is usually brought on staff on excavations in Cyprus and Israel as a qualified trench supervisor. Dr, Gaber has always felt that that should be the declared aim of field schools: to certify students as qualified excavators at the basic level.

Practicum with exams, a journal graded weekly, and field performance grades.

1300 BCE through the Roman period.

Cyprus is a semi-arid island with a Mediterranean climate. It is very hot and dry in summer. We do not recommend that anyone with dust allergies think about digging in the Mediterranean. We dig from 6-11 am and from 4-7pm. We wash pottery from 11-11:30, and have an hour off before lunch. Siesta is from 1-3:30 every day. We have lectures every Monday and Wednesday from 8-9pm, and field trips to other sites on the island every Friday. We have Saturdays off. We dig Sunday through Thursdays.

The Lyceum is a 5 minute walk from the site.

Digging days are Sunday through Thursday.
6am-11am in the field;11-11:30 is pottery washing;12:30 is lunch,1-3:30pm is siesta; 4-7pm back in the field; 8-9 lectures on Mon. and Wed.; Fridays are field trips; Saturdays off.

Yes.

Dr. Pamela Gaber, Director
Ms. Stephanie Wanek, Field Supervisor, M.A.
Mr. Damian Greenwell, Field Supervisor, M.A.
Ms. Ann-Marie, Knoblauch, Ph.D. trench supervisor
Ms. Brooke Pollio, B.A. trench supervisor
Ms. Michelle Burpoe, B.A.trench supervisor
Ms. Lena Nieves, B.A. trench supervisor
Ms. Lain Graham, B.A. trench supervisor, assistant registrar
Ms. Nicole Paterson, registrar
Mr. Elliot Lax, M.A. paleo-ethno-zoologist,
Valerie Woelfel, M.A. illustrator & restorer.

Total Station,
paleo-ethno-zoology
pottery preparation and analysis
object and field photography
drawing: field and object/ceramic

There have been 3 rain days in 15 years, but yes.

There are always festivals and invitations from our neighbors and the surrounding communities. In addition, we always have several participating Cypriote students who invite our students out on weekends and in the evenings.

Lectures every Monday and Wednesday, field trips every Friday to other sites where we have presentations by the excavators.

No.

There is a museum on the site. Also museums in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos. Also very important is the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute in Nicosia (CAARI).

Idalioninfo@yahoo.com
OR
Pamela Gaber
Prof. of Archaeology
Lycoming College
700 College Place
Willliamsport PA 17701