Archeological Fieldwork in Hissar
The ancient town Hissar is situated in the center of Bulgaria, at the foot of Sredna Gora Mountain, 40 km north of the city of Plovdiv and 160 km east of Sofia, close to the Valley of Roses. Hissar, like Sandanski, offers great conditions for living. The diversity of landscape, ranging from mountains to fields, fertile soil, warm mineral springs, and the mild climate were extremely favorable for human survival in ancient times since 5th century BC. Like Sandanski, Thracian, Romans, Early Christians, and Byzantines had left evidence of their existence, along with the specific life style, hopes and beliefs.
Town of Hissar - View
Hissar was a famous resort even in antique times, the evidence for which is the fact that Roman Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 BC) himself visited the city. At various times it was called Augusta, Diocletianopolis (after Roman Emperor Diocletian) and a couple of other names. Everywhere are still visible the ruins of public buildings, a small amphitheater, the barracks of the Roman garrison, the foundations of a couple of the oldest churches in Bulgaria, as well as the best preserved Roman fortress on the territory of Bulgaria.
The Camels – the symbol of Hissar
Nowadays, Hissar is a modern spa resort, offering great conditions for balneotherapy, so it is worth a visit to Hissar, and combine your archeological adventure with some luxury treatment in the spa centers here.
Part of the Roman Stronghold in Hissar
Roman baths in town of Hissar and Thracian settlement at Krastevich village (4th -5th BC)
This program gives everybody the opportunity to participate in an archeology fieldwork, aiming to help and support the team of the local Archaeological Museum in Hissar, Bulgaria. The work will be on 3 different ancient archaeological sites (all in one session):
- Roman baths in the central city park
- A Thracian settlement near the village of Krastevich(4-5 BC)
- Religious Thracian center some 700 m away from the same settlement
Archaeological Site in the City Park of Hissar
The program sessions, in which you can participate, will take place in the summer, starting in June and ending in August. Sessions duration is 2 weeks; however those who think 2 weeks are not enough can apply for more time. The excavation work requires no previous experience and will be conducted by a professional archaeologist. Additionally, an interpreter will join the team, so fluent English is the only requirement.
The two Thracian sites are situated about 35 km away from Hissar and will be visited with an organized transport. The main work will be concentrated on the Roman baths in the very center of the town, which is just five minutes walking distance from the hotel. The other two sites will be visited as an additional activity in order to enrich your experience as they represent a much earlier and interesting culture. All participants will obtain a fieldwork certificate by the Archeology Museum in Hissar.
Program sessions in 2008:
- From: June 7th to June 20th
- From: June 21st to July 4th
- From: July 5th to July 18th
- From: July 19th to August 1st
- From: August 2nd to August 15th
If these session dates are not suitable for you, please get in touch with the organizers and they will try to arrange a customized session for you. The minimum session duration should be 2 weeks. Less time will not satisfy anyone interested in archeology field work. You can extend your session for a third, or more weeks if you want, but you need to inform the organizers at least one month before session start.
View from the City Park of Hissar
Agenda
Saturday: Arrival in Sofia and meeting at the airport; transfer to your hotel in Sofia.
Sunday: Trip to Hissar, accommodation, introduction to the Museum staff and the archaeological sites, followed by walking tour of the town.
Mon-Fri and Mon-Thu next week: (9 full days in total) - fieldwork and lectures. Work will start at 8:00 am and will continue until 5:00 pm with a lunch break from 12 am to 1 pm. Saturday: A day trip to the famous Thracian tomb of Kazanlak. You will visit one of the magnificent and most popular places in Bulgaria. The tomb has been on the UNESCO World heritage site list since 1979 and is famous for its frescoes. The tomb dates back to Hellenistic period and is located in the famous Rose valley near Seuthopolis, the capital city of the Thracian king Seuhtes III (330 BC to 300 BC). The trip is included in the program’s fee and will be organized either with a car or a minibus depending on the group size.
In the Thracian Tomb in Kazanlak
Sunday: This will be your day off. You can spend your time in Hissar in many ways. You can visit one of the numerous spa centers with open-air pools. You can also fool around all day long - chilling at many open-air cafeterias, restaurants, bars.
Friday: Travel back to Sofia and walking city tour.
Saturday: Departure from Sofia airport.
Pricing
The Fieldwork Program price per person is EUR 699.00
*Prices are calculated for accommodation in double and triple rooms. In case you wish to sleep in a single room, please let us know in advance. We will inform you about this possibility and the price.
Fountain with Mineral Water in the City Park of Hissar
Program cost includes: - Application fee EUR 180.00
- Meeting at the airport and airport-hotel-airport transfers
- Accommodation on Bed & Breakfast basis in Sofia and Hissar (2 overnights in Sofia and 12 overnights in Hissar in nice 3 star hotels)
- Transfer Sofia-Hissar-Sofia
- Digs/fieldwork and lectures fee - 9 full days
- Day trip to Kazanlak tomb combined with a city tour, in the Saturday between the two working weeks
- Entrance tickets for the visited site and for the Archeology museum in Kazanlak
Program cost DOES NOT include:- airfare expenses*
- travel and medical insurance
- food and beverages for lunch and dinner for all 14 days**
- personal expenses
Momina Salza City Park View
*AIRFARE TICKETS. Price does not include the travel expenses to Sofia, but the organizers can assist you in buying international air tickets. Please, provide your travel details by e-mail and they will offer the best airfare rates for your trip.
**FOOD COSTS. The amount needed for 2 weeks should be around EUR 100.00 – 150.00
SCHEDULE OF PAYMENT: To book your participation in this Program, you should pay an Application fee of EUR 180.00 not less than 4 weeks before your session start date (if you are late, please contact us by email-we will try to fit you in). The remaining amount should be paid upon arrival. Please let me know with our Contact Form that you are interested in this program:
Click here to reach the Contact Form.
We will make sure that you receive the application form. The program will then contact you and will provide you with the payment information, along with all other arrangements.
APPLICATION DEADLINES: There are no general deadlines for applying to this Program. Of course, the earlier you apply the better your chance for reserving a place.
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY: Application fee is fully refundable 30 days before session start. After that time the Application fee is non-refundable.
Return from Hissar to Home
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Click here for Archeological Fieldwork in Sandanski
Click here for Town of Sandanski
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