Project type: field school (excavations)
THE PROJECT IS SUITABLE FOR BEGINNERS!
Site/s: STOBI - The ancient city, that lies at the confluence of the Crna and Vardar Rivers was the capital of Macedonia Secunda and a prominent urban, commercial and religious center of Roman and Early Byzantine Empires. Nowadays the site is completely outside the contemporary urban areas and belongs to the National Institute of Stobi, Macedonia. It is open for visitors as well.
Period(s) of occupation: Late Hellenistic, Roman, Early Byzantine (Second century BC - Sixth century AD)
The nearest air terminals: Skopje, Macedonia (80 km) and Thessaloniki, Greece (160 km). If participants arrive by plane on these airports, a transfer to Stobi may be arranged by request (Please, specify this in your application form!). Individual or group transfers’ price may vary depending on both distance and number of participants from 60 to 100 EUR.
Travel/access to the site: Stobi is located in the center of the Republic of Macedonia. It can be easily accessed: 1. travelling by bus or car on the highway E-75 (from Athens, Greece to Belgrade, Serbia and Central Europe  across Macedonia) - the highway exit STOBI is just in front of the site's entrance; 2. catching a bus/train from Skopje (Macedonia), Thessaloniki (Greece) - the stop is at Gradsko (5 km. away from Stobi), from there participants/visitors could get on a taxi to Stobi or wait for the pick-up; 3. from neighbouring towns of Negotino (15 km) and Kavadartsi (20 km) participants/visitors could get on a bus to Gradsko or on a taxi directly to Stobi.

Description: For more than a century the ancient city of Stobi has been attracting scientists from all over the World to reveal its secrets. The first reported excavations started during World War I by German officers and the archaeologist F. Krischen.

Periods of excavations:

To date only 15% of the territory of Stobi, that is surrounded by  the city wall has been excavated.

1. The theater (built in the 2nd century AD) was first used for drama and musical performances, attended by app. 7600 spectators. In the second half of third century the theater was rearranged as a gladiatorial arena for bloody spectacles. The imperial edict of Constantine I forbade gladiatorial games in 313 and as a result the theater was gradually abandoned by the end of 4th century. In the course of the following centuries primitive dwellings were built on top of the theater's ruins and many of its architecture elements (seats, fences, columns etc.) were reused in other construction.

2. The Western Necropolis (25-30 ha), lies in front of the main gate of the city, “Porta Heraclea” and stretches to the modern village of Palikura. It was in use from the first century BC to the fifth century AD. In the Roman period the predominant burial practice was cremation, practiced by both, Italic newcomers and the local population. With the advance of Christianisation in the fourth century, skeletal inhumation completely replaced cremation as a burial practice. Most of the graves in the necropolis, excavated to date, are dated to the late third and fourth centuries AD.

3. There are also ruins of an ancient temple (templum in antis type). Excavations there started in 2008 uncovering the podium of the monument. Under the podium's floor level there was discovered two underground vaulted rooms with a niche. The excavations so far were not able to extract information about the date and  the god, to whom this building was dedicated. Excavations in 2010 should answer these questions.

Two field school sessions of the project are available in 2010, each including the following three modules: fieldwork; educational course (lectures, workshops and field trainings in Early and Late Roman Archaeology), and excursions to the St.Archangel Michael Monastery (10th century), the old towns of Prilep and Bitola, the archaeological site of Heraclea Lyncestis as well as to Ohrid and Ohrid lake (UNESCO World Heritage Site) (Refer to the Course description and Field School agenda below!). All participants will receive a Balkan Heritage Field School Certificate specifying the fieldwork hours, educational modules, and sites visited. 

New Bulgarian University grants to students 6 credits for participation in one project session and 9 credits for participation in two sessions. Transcripts are available upon request for an additional tuition fee! Click for details!

Archaeological and historical context: The historical references and archaeological excavations show a picture of the continuity of occupation in Stobi. The remains of the Archaic (sixth century BC) and Classical period (fifth-fourth century BC), discovered by the excavations, point to the earliest periods of Stobi's history. However, the small quantity of finds from that time and the lack of historical records do not yet indicate  much about the earliest settlement. The first historiography records that mention Stobi are provided by the Roman historian Titus Livy, and concern the period of the second century BC, when (in 197 BC) the Macedonian king Philip V defeated the Dardanians in the vicinity of Stobi. According to Livy, during the Roman conquests in Macedonia, Stobi became an important center for salt trading. In AD 69 Empreror Vespasian granted Stobi the rank of municipium and the right to mint its own coins. Salt trading and the  strategic position between two rivers, on the cross-road of the ancient road along the Vardar valley and branches of Via Diagonalis and Via Egnatia, brought long-term prosperity from first to third centuries AD. Several buildings are dated to this period: the Theater, the first City Wall, Porta Heraclea, part of the Forum Romanorum, Casa Romana, the Synagogue and the water supply system. In 267/69 the city suffered from raids by Goths and Herules. After their devastating attacks, Stobi was rebuilt, but following a different urban model. Most of the building ruins visible today are dated to this period. In the fourth century AD Stobi became an important Christian center and seat of mighty bishops. In the fifth and sixth century, Stobi was the capital city of the Roman province Macedonia Secunda, but suffered from the raids of Huns, Ostrogoths, Avars and Slavs. An earthquake in 518 AD marked the end of urban living in Stobi. In later centuries there are some records for a small Slav community that settled here. The last historical reference regarding Stobi is about the victory of the Byzantine troops over the military crew of Stobi in the XI century AD.

1. Early registration (before 1 January 2010)
2. Participation in more than 1 BH project or project session in 2010. (10% discount is valid for the second, third etc... project/session to be attended)
3. Participation in any BH project/s in the past.
4. Membership in Archaeological Institute of America.

NOTE, 5% OF EVERY ADMISSION FEE FOR THIS PROJECT DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE  BALKAN HERITAGE PROTECTION FUND’S ACTIVITIES!