Kenneth Carosi

I first became involved with the AIRC as a field school student in the summer of 2009 Villa delle Vignacce excavation in Rome, Italy.  Upon completion of my university studies, I returned to Rome and the AIRC as an intern to clean, organize, and catalog finds from the four previous excavation seasons, as well as attempt to interpret the site based on the archaeological remains.  Finds expert Sara Palma, Professor Chris Renaud and fellow intern Andrea Samz-Pustol, also a former student of the AIRC, and I worked alongside each other in an ancient cistern located on the Vignacce site.  Our duties were mainly cataloging the many artifacts including marble slabs and decorative elements, glass, mosaics, brick stamps, pottery, and frescoes.  I learned a great deal from Chris and Sara who were always willing to stop what they were doing to answer my many questions.  Andrea and I were also fortunate to gain insight into not only ancient Rome but also modern Italian history, language, and politics.  By the end of the program, I was well-versed in marble and pottery identification, as well as the various techniques involved in cleaning, photographing, and cataloging a variety of artifacts.

As part of my internship, I also participated in the AIRC’s field school at the Porta Marina in Ostia Antica for one day each week.  Some of my responsibilities included helping teach and demonstrate proper excavation techniques and artifact identification.  While participating in Ostia I was also able to expand my knowledge of the ancient city as well as my overall knowledge of excavation practices.  The helpful excavation staff went out of their way to insure the students and interns alike understood every part of the excavation process.

Aside from discovering all Rome had to offer, I was also fortunate enough to be able to explore many other parts of Italy.  The Rome’s of combination central location and the country’s extensive railway system is perfect for weekend getaways, from the sun and fun of Italy’s many beach resorts or history-packed adventures, to the many ancient cities and villages scattered throughout the countryside. 

I enjoyed every second of my time in Italy.  I cannot place enough value on the knowledge I gained from the AIRC’s internship and field school programs.  Following the completion of my internship, I began yet another new chapter in my life by enrolling in a Roman Archaeology Master’s program at Durham University, ranked among the top three universities in the United Kingdom.  Without doubt, my experiences with the AIRC not only prepared me for my studies, but were also an integral component of my acceptance into such a prestigious university—in fact, my thesis for my masters program was largely guided by my time spent with the AIRC.  I highly recommend the American Institute for Roman Culture’s field school and internship programs.  I will certainly continue to benefit from the mentoring I received from the AIRC’s professional archaeologists for many years to come.