Summer Excavation 2012 Ostia

AIRC Summer Archaeological Field School 2012

Ostia Antica: Harbor Structure Investigation (Tor Boacciana)

and Conservation on Via della Foce

Click here to read a recent article on AIRC's Ostia project in Popular Archaeology online.

The Project

AIRC is seeking 40 participants for the first campaign of an exciting new multi-year project at Ostia Antica, the harbor city of ancient Rome. The project is focused on a large (approximately 10 m long by 3 m wide) structure, composed of brick-faced concrete walls and vaulting, as well as marble elements and massive travertine blocks, located along the ancient coastline. The structure, hidden beneath a large fig tree, has never been investigated and may have been a part of the coastal port facilities, which were the subject of investigations along the Tiber banks to the north a few years ago and are currently being investigated just a few hundred meters to the east in a salvage archaeology project sponsored by the Archaeological Superintendency of Rome’s Ostia Office as part of the construction of a new multi-lane bridge across the Tiber on Via della Scafa. (At one of the excavation sites, on the north side of the Tiber, parts of two imperial-era Roman ships have been found.) Combined, these projects will make a major contribution to our historical and topographical understanding of both Ostia and its industrial harbor at Portus (another site recently subjected to intensive investigation) by literally putting important undocumented structures on the map and revealing their role(s).

The project, directed by AIRC (Dr. Darius Arya and Dr. Alberto Prieto), will operate on the leaner, low-impact/high-return model of archaeological investigation that is gaining ground over the traditional open-area excavation model and its high costs in labor, maintenance, and conservation. The project will involve (1) the defoliation and clearing of the structure (a process that will begin in winter 2011-2012); (2) comprehensive documentation and analysis of the standing remains; (3) excavation of targeted trenches along the walls to reveal the depth of the foundations, expose the full preserved height of the structure for documentation, and determine the chronology of the structure; and (4) study and analysis of the finds from the trenches.

The project will be operated exclusively by AIRC, which is the sole holder of the agreement with the Ostia Office of the Archaeological Superintendency of Rome. The investigation will be coordinated with the excavations further east along Via della Scafa, on both sides of the Tiber, which are directed by Ostia Antica Director dott. Angelo Pellegrino and dott. Michele Raddi. There may be occasional excursions to visit the other excavation areas as well as Portus, the industrial harbor created by the emperors Claudius and Trajan north of Ostia to provide a safer and larger landing for the grain ships coming from North Africa.

Participants at Ostia Antica will also have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in site conservation at AIRC’s other ongoing project, in Region III (insula 1.14) along Via della Foce, where AIRC has just completed a pilot project in a small space recently cleared and repaired by ALES spa. The project involves removing the dirt covering the floor of a space, cleaning the floor and walls carefully, documenting them with drawings and photographs and stratigraphic unit sheets in conjunction with ALES staff, and then re-covering the floor with fabric and a special low-cost limestone aggregate that compacts into a cement-like consistency impeding the reappearance of invasive vegetation and yet is completely reversible, resulting in less wear on the structure and a lower overall maintenance cost. (See the teaser video here.) In 2012 AIRC will perform this work in several more spaces adjacent to the first one, in order to create a large sample to test the effectiveness of the process. If it works as expected, AIRC and ALES hope to obtain external funding that will allow the project to be extended across much of Region III.

The experience will include the following didactic aspects to which all participants will be exposed, all under the supervision of experienced professionals:

• strategy, techniques, and methods of stratigraphic archaeology, including pre-excavation topographic research and cleaning/defoliation;
• detailed architectural and functional study of the exposed remains involving both the traditional (hand-drawn) method and the latest technology (photogrammetry, total station, and CAD software);
• cleaning, analysis/classification, and documentation of all classes of artifacts;
• photographic documentation of artifacts, standing remains, and archaeological stratigraphy using digital cameras;
• the history and physical condition of the site and approaches to conserving it for future generations;
• video documentation of all aspects of the project using an array of cameras, including assembly and editing of the clips into a documentary about the project to be posted on AIRC’s YouTube channel and videos webpage, which already hosts a series of introductory videos about Ostia Antica produced by AIRC and Northeastern University.

See the recent New York Times article about Ostia Antica.

Other Information

Schedule 
 The project runs from Monday through Friday, 8:00-4:30. The typical working schedule is:

 8:00 arrival at Ostia Antica gate, followed by a 20-minute walk to the investigation site 
8:30-10:00 work 
10:00-10:15 snack (cookies and fruit) 
10:15-12:15 work 
12:15-1:00 lunch (pasta or meat/vegetable dish, drink, and gelato) 
1:00-4:30 work

Transportation 
Ostia Antica is conveniently reached from downtown Rome via a 25-minute commute on the Roma-Ostia Lido train line, which departs every 15 minutes from a dedicated station connected to the Piramide metro stop. In order to reach Ostia Antica by 8:00, participants must catch the 7:30 train. The same train line can be used to get to the beach at Ostia Lido during free time and weekends.

Selection Criteria
 There are no pre-requisites, and no knowledge of archaeology or Italian is expected—only a desire to get dirty and learn about Roman civilization. Prior archaeological experience and coursework are welcome.  

NOTE: This program is physically rigorous and requires long hours in conditions that can make the experience both physically and mentally challenging.

Educational Requirements
Whether you’re a postgraduate or undergraduate, archaeology or art history or anthropology major, or simply someone interested in learning more about the field of archaeology, this program provides an exciting and unique opportunity for a first-hand look at archaeological fieldwork at a one-of-a-kind Roman site.    

Course Text
None. A packet of course notes and a custom manual will be provided.

Project bibliography
A very thorough bibliography on Ostia Antica is available here.

Program Cost and Details

$4700 Covers tuition, housing in the historic center of Rome in shared apartments with other program participants (Wi-Fi connection included), public transportation within the city of Rome and between Rome and Ostia, entry fees for archaeological sites and museums visited during the first week, printed materials, and welcome and farewell dinners.

Lunch and a snack are provided on-site from Tuesday to Friday. On Mondays the site cafeteria is closed, and so participants must bring their own lunches. All other meals are at the participant’s expense.