Lofkend Archaeological Survey
Albania
June 22 - July 26, 2008
This program offers students a chance to participate in an extensive field survey or regional analysis project in the Gjanica River valley in southwestern Albania. Students will participate in daily field-walking, collection and recording of artifacts, washing and classifying pottery and other finds, as well as entering data from field notes, photographs and object registry. Students will be trained in the use of GPS (global positioning systems) with handheld devices, and learn how to recognize, classify, and process artifacts and ecofacts; they will also be introduced to the principles of conservation (in our field lab) and the interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data. The periods occupied in this area range from Paleolithic through Medieval-Modern; visits to local sites and museums will enhance understanding of this cultural history and its features.
This survey follows four seasons of excavations of the burial mound at Löfkend, 2004-2008.