ArchaeoSpain Excavation Programme:Annelies
From CareersWiki
Degree: Classics
Year of Graduation: 2013
In Summer 2010, I attended the ArchaeoSpain excavation programme in Pintia (close to Valladolid in Spain). The site was a combination of a Vaccean (pre-Roman Celtic civilization) necropolis and a Roman settlement fortification. I personally only excavated the Vaccean tombs and it was really interesting to get a different view on the ancient world from just that of Greece and Rome. It was hard work (we often had to be on site quite early in the morning and work about 7 to 8 hours on the full excavation days) but definitely worth it. The programme is really great in that it introduces you to all aspects of the excavation process: from pick-axing, to archaeological drawing, to finds analysis. You excavate and do lab work (mostly washing, sampling and putting together finds) for 3 full days and 2 half days per week, getting Monday off and Tuesdays for excursions. There are also weekly workshops from members of the excavation team and University of Valladolid staff on the excavation process and the history of the site. These talks are mostly in Spanish but there are normally 2 translators present (who normally former participants in the program. They are also present on dig site every day and live in the house with you, so you don’t actually need to know Spanish to go on the programme. I personally don’t know a word of Spanish and I got along just fine.
The area does tend to get quite hot especially around July and August but you get a siesta time (from after lunch until about 5), so you can pretty much sleep through the hottest part of the day, which is nice especially since you tend to stay up late at the local cantina or the bodega playing Duro or just hanging out with the group and the locals. They have some weird drink combinations (they especially seem to like their Tinto de Verano and Catho), and I advise you to stay away from the Kallimotxo, no matter how often they tell you it is the most amazing invention since hot water.
You also get to know a lot about local culture both by living in such close quarters with the people in the town, often joining in on their festivals and hanging out with them at the cantina, and through the weekly trips to sites around the North of Spain. The locals are extremely nice and really make you feel at home. We went to a brotherhood festival to the village of Cea on the second day of the programme and we got treated almost as if we were part of the village, joining in on the gift exchange and the dance after dinner (the will literally abduct you from your seat onto dance floor so be prepared). We were also lucky enough to be in Spain during the world cup final so we got to celebrate Spain’s victory with the people of the village, which was a load of fun, even though we had to go digging the next day.
The accommodation they provide was surprisingly good, although you do have to sleep on bunk beds, you get access to the internet (and there is a computer there if you don’t feel comfortable bringing your own), you can watch movies and most importantly there are 7 showers, which is great because then you don’t have to wait half an hour to get clean after a full morning of digging. The food is also AMAZING, the cook is a local woman from the village and she will make anything from chips to paella to Spanish tortilla. You also get taken to the supermarket once a week in case you want to buy soda or snacks. The meals on excursions are also delicious and really cheap (only 10 Euros for 3 courses). So if you aren’t up for sleeping in a tent out in the open, this is a great alternative.
The programme is a great learning opportunity and is also a great way of meeting new people. The groups mostly consist of about 10 to 15 people and you really do become a tight group after a month of excavating together. It’s no Indiana Jones movie but definitely a great way of getting experience in the field.
