Program Highlights
- Take part in a once-in-a lifetime opportunity! Participants in the field school will learn comprehensive archaeological methods, including excavation and recording, mapping, surveying, object photography, and basic conservation techniques.
- Be part of a full-scale research and archaeological project: Antiochia ad Cragum Archaeological Research Project (ACARP) is currently excavating a third-century AD Imperial temple, colonnaded square, and a gymnasium complex.
- Additional opportunities for field trips include: nearby archaeological sites, such as Selinus, Lamos, Perge, Aspendos, and the Alanya Museum.
Academics
Course of Study
The research to be conducted by the ACARP should be seen as pioneering in architectural studies and the archaeology of Rough Cilicia, as few sites have ever been excavated in the region before. Field school participants will be introduced to the basics of field archaeology. They will learn proper excavation techniques, archaeological survey, principles of field conservation, record keeping, site management, and archaeological surveying. Opportunities for field trips to nearby archaeological sites, such as Selinus, Lamos, Perge, Anamur, Alanya and the Alanya Museum will be arranged.
In 2012, we began work on the great Bath – Gymnasium Complex where we discovered a large, late Roman courtyard with a sumptuous swimming pool and covered with a roof. The court was endowed with a mosaic pavement, decorated in mosaic panels. In 2013, in addition to continuing our work on the Bath Complex, we opened up new areas of work, exploring a courtyard surrounded by a colonnade. Within the interior of this courtyard we partially uncovered the remains of a structure we believe was a temple, also paved in a mosaic. We will return to this structure in 2018, as well as exploring the area around the Bath Complex, and the nearby acropolis of the city.
Course Credit
Volunteers are not required to take the field school for academic credit. However, all participants are required to enroll in the course associated with the program for 0 to 3 credit hours in the student portal; MyRED.
UNL students and non-UNL students wishing to participate for academic credit may enroll in 3 undergraduate or graduate credit hours for AHIS 286, 496/896. Prerequisite is the permission of the instructor. You will obtain the enrollment details from the academic department.
Eligibility
This program is open to undergraduate and graduate UNL students in good academic standing, as well as students and volunteers outside of UNL. We encourage applications from volunteers, aged 18 and up.
Faculty Leader
Dr. Michael Hoff teaches Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he is Professor of Art History. Professor Hoff has spent considerable time in Greece over the last 30 years participating in archaeological research and has excavated in Athens, Corinth, Nemea, and on Crete. Professor Hoff currently excavates in Turkey at the Roman city of Antiochia ad Cragum.
Contact Information: Professor Michael Hoff Department of Art and Art History 120 Richards Hall Lincoln, NE 68588-0114 - mhoff1@unl.edu - (402) 472-5342
Location
Antiochia ad Cragum is located in the village of Güney, approximately 20 km southeast of Gazipasa, on the south Turkish coast. Project headquarters is located in Gazipasa, approximately 40 kms southwest of Alanya. The city of Gazipasa is modest size, with a population of approximately 22,000 people.
Historically, the site and its harbor possibly served as one of the havens for the Cilician pirates. This group operated from the shores and preyed upon shipping and coastal communities of the eastern Mediterranean during the first half of the first century BC. Pompey ended the pirate scourge in 67 with a naval victory at nearby Korakesion (Alanya). No traces of Antiochia's pirate past survive among the remains visible today.
The emperor Gaius ceded control of Rough Cilicia to a client-king of Rome, Antiochos IV of Commagene, for a brief period in AD 38, and was restored to power in 41 under Claudius. He ruled continuously until AD 72, during which period he founded the city named after himself. After his deposition by Vespasian in 72, the city, along with the rest of Rough Cilicia, fell under direct Roman rule as part of the enlarged Province of Cilicia. The ancient city of Antiochia ad Cragum was constructed on primarily sloping ground that descends from the Taurus range down to the sea. In spite of the fact that the city is coastal, the city center lays several hundred meters above sea level and is protected on several sides by cliffs and steep slopes that offered protection from sea borne attack. The portion of the site where ancient architecture is still preserved within the modern confines of the village of Güney occupies a large territory, over 24 ha in area.
Accommodations and Other Arrangements
INTERNATIONAL AIRFARE: Participants will independently arrange and purchase roundtrip international airfare to Gazipasa or Antalya. If flying into Antalya, transportation is available to Gazipasa via a 3-hour coach ride. Participants are encouraged to not purchase their international airfare until details have been provided by the Education Abroad Office.
LODGING in COUNTRY: All students and volunteers will reside in the Excavation House, equipped with two kitchens, large dining area, outdoor patio, and rooftop. The rooms are dormitory-style and accommodate 4-6 occupants. Each room has its own shower and bathroom, and WIFI is provided throughout the building.
MEALS in COUNTRY: Meals will be served during the typical work week of the excavation which runs on a Monday-Friday schedule. Meals when not in the field will be served at the Excavation House. No meals are provided on Saturdays at the dig house and participants will need to purchase these meals out-of-pocket.
TRANSPORTATION in COUNTRY: Antalya, the closest major city to Gazipasa, has a full service international airport. If you fly into Antalya it is relatively easy to take a bus to Gazipasa; the trip is approximately three hours by coach. During the program, we will travel each day from our Excavation House in Gazipasa to the dig site via rented passenger van. Transportation on field trips will be provided.
ACCESS to LAUNDRY FACILITIES: The Excavation House is equipped with a washing machine.
ACCESS to WiFi: WiFi is available in the Excavation House.
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED for TRAVEL: A
valid passport is required for travel. Additionally, the Turkish Research Application Form is required for all foreigners conducting research in Turkey. Dr. Hoff will provide instructions on completing the form.
Non-U.S. citizens need to research entry requirements specific to the country of destination at the time of applying to the program. Deadline to upload passport to MyWorld:
June 1, 2023.
HEALTH AND MOBILITY: Temperatures in southern Turkey can reach into the 90s during the summer, and participants will be spending much of their time outside. There will be shaded areas provided on the dig site, and participants should wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen to prevent heat-related issues. Recommended immunizations/medications per
CDC (as of November 20, 2017) include the Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines.
CDC recommends that you are up-to-date on routine vaccines before every trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot. Please be sure to check the CDC for additional recommended immunizations.
Budget
See the Budget Sheet and the Fund Your Experience page on the Education Abroad website.
Deposit
Upon approval of participation, program participants will pay a $500 commitment deposit. The commitment deposit will be applied to the final program cost. If a participant withdraws from a program, the participant will be responsible for any irrecoverable costs associated with the program at the time of withdrawal. The deadline to pay the $500 commitment deposit is April 12, 2023 - extended!
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Please see the Education Abroad website for detailed information about financial aid and scholarships.
Additional Resources
Below you will find links to resources for travel, health, and safety:
U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey
Center for Disease Control
U.S. Department of State
Embassy of Turkey
Antiochia ad Cragum Archaeological Research Project (ACARP)
*UNL Education Abroad does not officially endorse, administer, or monitor the content of these links.
