The Gabii Project (Central Italy) is sponsoring a volunteer field school program for undergraduate students in 2009 (season dates: 21 June – 25 July).  If you are interested in applying (deadline 15 February 2009), please visit http://lw.lsa.umich.edu/kelsey/research/Excavation/Gabii/; inquiries may be directed to gabiiproject At umich.edu.

LOCATION
The archaeological project is located at the site of ancient Gabii, some 18 km to the east of Rome in Central Italy.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Gabii Project is an international, multi-institution archaeological initiative under the direction of Nicola Terrenato of the University of Michigan. Field research at the site of Gabii commenced in 2007 with a campaign of magnetometric geophysical survey, undertaken in order to begin to establish an archaeological plan of the site – something that had never been done before – and to assess the nature of archaeological deposits and determine whether or not urban excavation at the site would be a workable research approach. Encouraged by the 2007 results, the project returned in 2008 to complete the magnetometry survey of the site and to carry out various other geophysical prospections in order to construct stratigraphic site profiles for Gabii. With the data in hand from 2007 and 2008, a fairly complete plan for a substantial part of the urban area is now in hand and will serve as a useful guide for excavations that will commence in June 2009.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The 2009 season will be the first season of fieldwork at the site of Gabii that will involve excavation, and thus the Gabii Project is pleased to offer a field program for student volunteers. We welcome applications from any interested students.  The program, which will not grant academic credit in 2009, will run from June 21 to July 25, 2009. During the program students will receive an introduction to, and instruction in, the range of practical skills employed by the field archaeologist, as well as exposure to the various techniques and methods of the archaeological field laboratory. The following represent some of the skill sets that the program will cover.
•    Open field excavation methodology
•    Archaeological documentation and record keeping
•    The use of the Harris Matrix for stratigraphical analysis and documentation
•    Identification and initial conservation of archaeological finds
•    Use of a transit and exposure to the operation of a Total station (electronic surveying instrument)

Students will be housed in Frascati, Italy, at the Hotel Ville Mercede, a pensione that features air conditioning, wireless internet access, and an on-site restaurant.  Meals will be provided at the restaurant (Monday-Friday) as well as on-site.  The program cost for five weeks is $3,600.

APPLICATION INFORMATION (DEADLINE IS 15 FEBRUARY 2009)
Applications are submitted electronically via the Project’s website: http://lw.lsa.umich.edu/kelsey/research/Excavation/Gabii/