Coming up in Heraklion, April 5th through 17th, 2019, the British School at Athens will offer the Prehistoric, Greek and Roman Pottery Course, a unique opportunity for hands-on experience in the field of archeology. This amazing course will be conducted at the British School’s Research Centre at Knossos, under the guidance of Knossos curator, Dr. Kostis S. Christakis.
Leading specialists in the field will join Dr. Christakis in helping participants learn the essential skills for examining and identifying major pottery groups from across the Mediterranean. Students will attend workshops for drawing and macroscopic fabric analysis, take part in a series of themed lectures, and approach problems and methods in the study and publication of ceramics. Then, toward the end of the course, participants will have the opportunity to undertake a case study project.
The course will make use of the rich holdings of the Stratigraphic Museum which include material from across the Mediterranean in all periods from the Neolithic period to Late Roman era. In addition, the course will also be comprised of field classes to abandoned pottery workshops of the late 19th century, potting villages, and visits to important Bronze Age, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman archaeological sites in cooperation with the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Local potters, specializing in traditional techniques, will also provide practical experience of all stages of pottery production.
Joining Dr. Christakis will be the course instructors; Prof. Todd Whitelaw (UCL Institute of Archaeology), Dr. Colin Macdonald (British School at Athens), Dr. Conor Trainor (University of Warwick), Mr. Antonio Bianco (University of Crete), Dr. Maria Choleva (Postdoctoral Research Fellow UCLouvain), Dr. Carlotta Gardner (Williams Fellow in Ceramic Petrology, Fitch Laboratory), and Dr. Denitsa Nenova (UCL Institute of Archaeology).
The Prehistoric, Greek and Roman Pottery Course is primarily intended for postgraduate students who wish to acquire or strengthen vital archaeological skills, but applications from late-stage undergraduates with a strong intention to continue their studies will also be considered.
The course fee of £750 includes tuition, teaching materials, room and board (shared accommodation in double rooms with breakfast and some lunch) at the British School’s Research Centre at Knossos, field trip travel expenses, 24-hour access to the Library, and BSA membership. Travel to and from Heraklion will be the sole responsibility of each course participant. Students are recommended to apply to their universities for assistance with the fees. A very limited number of bursaries may be available from the BSA for those who would be otherwise unable to attend.
Application forms can be downloaded from the British School website (www.bsa.ac.uk). Completed application forms and an academic reference letter (it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that her/his reference is sent) should be emailed to the Knossos Curator Dr. Kostis S. Christakis by 22nd February 2019 (knossoscurator@bsa.ac.uk).
For further information contact the course coordinator Dr. Kostis S. Christakis (knossoscurator@bsa.ac.uk).
