Excavations of the Neolithic Settlement Ilindentsi

 

The Birth of Europe - Excavations of the Neolithic Settlement Ilindentsi

 

Period: Early and Middle Balkan Neolithic (6000-5500 BC)

Project type: field school & archaeological excavation.The variety of activities and team flexibility make this project suitable for both Beginners and Advanced in either Field or Prehistoric Archaeology. Individual program and task assignment are available to advanced students. 

 

Site: Prehistoric settlement near Ilindentsi, Southwestern Bulgaria   

Project Venue:Blagovesta guest-house in the village of Ilindentsi (district of Blagoevgrad), located (3 km away from the municipal transport hub Strumyani having a train and bus stop) in the foothills of the majestic Pirin Mountains (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Southwestern Bulgaria. The site is within 10-15 min walking distance from the guest house.   

 

Program Dates:                                                                           Tuition

 

Field school session 1: 10 June - 24 June, 2019                          $ 2,550

Field school session 2: 24 June - 8 July, 2019                             $ 2,550

Academic Credits; up to 9 

Application Deadlines: until the places are filled, or latest 10 May, 2017   

Minimum length of stay: 1 session (two weeks)

Minimum age: 18 (16, if the participant is accompanied by an adult family member)

Number of field school places available: Maximum 20

Project language: English

Experience required: No   

Note: The program fees include accomodation.

 

The Site and the Excavation Project

 

In the seventh millenium BC the Balkan Peninsula was a gate through which farming, animal husbandry and generally Neolithisation spread to Europe from Anatolia and the Near East. Central parts of the Balkans (including the Struma River Valley) were among the most important migration routes during that period. Six Early Neolithic settlements are mapped in the small Middle Struma Valley. One of them is the prehistoric site near Ilindentsi. It is located on a high terrace at 250-253 m above sea-level in the Struma River Valley and at the foot of the Pirin Mountains - the third-highest range on the Balkans. The site (with vertical and horizontal stratigraphy) covers a territory of almost three hectares, where the prehistoric cultural layer surprisingly lies immediately under the topsoil humus (10 to 20 cm). During the previous seasons: 2004-2009 and 2011-2014 archaeologists unearthed there remains of Early and Middle Neolithic settlement structures and features.