Majoring in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations and Classical Studies, junior Evan Joachim received the Charles Garside AMC Summer Travel Award earlier this year which supported their study abroad experience at the Poggio Civitate Archaeological Field School in Vescovado di Murlo, Italy for five weeks.
Learn more about the tough but rewarding work, research, and physical labor Evan underwent while at the archaeological site:
“Poggio Civitate, also called the Hill of the Civilization, is the site of an Etruscan settlement in the commune of Murlo, Italy. Poggio Civitate itself underwent three separate settlement periods until the area was ultimately abandoned, likely through violent means. This summer, students and staff worked in multiple trenches, some that had been repeatedly opened each summer for many years and others that had been dug for the first time this year. One trench, referred to as the Workshop, dug further into what we already know as an industrial center that had been destroyed in a fire. We excavated and removed an array of terracotta ceiling tiles that helped in identifying the exact manner of the fire and direction of destruction. Additionally, we uncovered two charred wooden beams. This find is perhaps the most exciting of the season as this is the first time “intact” wood has been recovered from the site, and due to the sheer size of the carbon deposit, we will eventually be able to carbon date the workshop fire. I am particularly interested in and excited by ecological archaeology, so helping to find and remove these wooden beams was indescribably exciting. As well as excavating on the hill, I also got the chance to work in the lab, which we called the magazzino as it was situated in an underground garage. In the magazzino, I learned how to carefully clean, identify, and organize finds; most of which consisted of terracotta pottery or miscellaneous animal bones. I also learned how to glue together broken pieces of pottery and got to reassemble pots that I had uncovered myself earlier in the week, which was uniquely fulfilling.
In addition to the actual work I participated in during the week, I was able to travel to nearby cities on the weekend. I explored Siena, Florence, Gaeta, Perugia, and Rome in particular. This summer allowed me to solidify my interest in archaeology as a career, emboldened by love of the Etruscans, opened the door for future international travel, and provided me with the opportunity to meet inspiring archaeologists working in the field today and amazing students with similar interests to mine. I will never forget this experience, nor the kindness and generosity of everyone who got me there.”
The Charles Garside AMC Summer Travel Grant supports archaeological training and course-related fieldwork abroad for AMC majors. It is named in honor of the late Charles Garside, a beloved professor of History at Rice, and is generously supported by Rice graduate and Humanities Advisory Board member Bruce Dunlevie.
Images
Cover: Evan in Gaeta documenting the beautiful town with a disposable camera.
Photo 2: Solo-exploring the gorgeous city of Perugia. This city was full of overgrown alleyways, in which someone had placed this mirror for what they believe is one of the best photo-ops in the region of Umbria.
Photo 3: One of the short, but extreme rain showers they experienced on the hill. On this day, they chose to quickly cover the trenches and wait out the rain, so as to continue work once conditions were drier.
Photo 4: A man-shaped root that they, having been exhausted and delirious by the sun, began to worship as a mandrake deity. They supplied the deity with offerings of bulk terracotta and worms in exchange for cloud cover and light breezes.
Photo 5: Evan and friends exploring the beach town of Gaeta during a long weekend. They were particularly struck by the beauty of this town, as well as the city of Perugia.
Photo 6: Enjoying a cookie break with friends.