Bulgaria

Workshop for Conservation of Ancient Greek Pottery

Period: Ancient Greek and Hellenistic
Code: AGPC 25
Session: 7 - 21 June, 2025
Academic credits available: 6
Cost starting from: 2399 EUR/ approx. 2606 USD

The Project and the Course


General information  

Project type: Field school and conservation workshop. The various activities and team flexibility make this project suitable for both beginners and advanced (volunteers or students) in conservation. Good manual dexterity and ability to carry out delicate bench work are recommended.

The field school started: 2009   

Venue: National Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Debelt

Artifacts & monuments in the project's focus: The pottery for the workshop originates from the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic necropolis of Apollonia Pontica (6th – 2nd century BCE) which is one of the biggest ancient Greek necropoleis ever excavated. The vessels used for conservation come from the ritual hearths in the necropolis and are provided by the Archaeological Museum – Sozopol, Bulgaria.

Periods in the project's focus: Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic (6th – 2nd century BCE)

BHF partners in this project:  

Workshop director: Daniela Cherneva - Chief Instructor; Balkan Heritage Foundation affiliate conservator, PhD in conservation and restoration of red figure ancient Greek pottery with polychrome decoration.

Instructors & Lecturers: Biljana J. Peeva -  Instructor; conservator of pottery and glass artifacts at National Institution Stobi (R. of N. Macedonia); Teodora Bogdanova - Lecturer; PhD in Archaeology, Department of Classical Archaeology, National Archaeological Institute with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Adjunct Professor, CPCE, New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria; Margarit Damyanov - Lecturer; PhD in Archaeology, Assistant professor at the Department of Thracian Archaeology, Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; Alexander Manev - Instructor; (PhD candidate), Department in Classical Archaeology, Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Field school session available:  7 - 22 June, 2025

Application Deadlines: 7 May, 2025

Minimum length of stay: Two weeks.

Minimum age: 18 (16, if an adult family member accompanies the participant).

Number of field school places available: Maximum 10

Academic credits available: Participants can receive up to 6 European academic credits through New Bulgarian University.

Language: English

Experience required: No

Special requirements: Good physical condition and command of manual operations. All participants should bring clothes and toiletries suitable for hot and sunny weather, although the weather might be sometimes chilly and rainy. It is recommended that participants bring their laptops with at least 6 GB of free disk space and a mouse. Operation system recommended: Windows 10 or newer. All participants are expected to prepare for the workshop by reading the BHFS handbook (the BHFS e-handbook will be sent by e-mail to all registered students before the beginning of the project) and other recommended readings. Participants will use the tools and equipment available at the labs and are not expected to bring any additional equipment.      

The participants should inform the project staff about any health issues, allergies, and food preferences.


 Archaeological and Historical context

Apollonia Pontica (present-day Sozopol, Bulgaria) is one of the most ancient towns on the western Black Sea coast. The city, founded by Miletian colonists around 610 BCE, was named Apollonia Pontica, in honor of the patron deity of Miletus - Apollo. The Ancient authors identify the philosopher named Anaximander as the founder of the city. It became an autonomous and strong democratic polis and important trade center between Ancient Greece and Thrace. Thanks to its strong navy and naturally protected harbors, Apollonia kept control of the major merchant road along the western Black Sea Coast, called Via Pontica, for several centuries. The city preserved its independence during the campaigns of Phillip II of Macedon (342-339 BCE) and Alexander the Great (335 BCE) but in 72 BCE it was conquered, pillaged and burned by the Roman legions of Marcus Lucullus. The victors took the most prized trophy to Rome: the colossal statue of Apollo. The city succeeded in restoring its former glory and was known in the Roman World as Apollonia Magna (Great Apollonia). Following the Christian mainstream tradition, its name was changed to Sozopol in the 4th century CE. Despite the damage, it survived the period of the Great Migration of People (4th - 7th century CE) and entered the Middle Ages as a focal point of long-lasting Byzantine-Bulgarian conflicts.

The large necropolis of Apollonia Pontica, dated to the 6th - 2nd century BCE and 4th - 6th century CE, is Sozopol's most important archaeological site today. It was once outside the town, along the sea coast in what is today the Harmani beach area and Budzhaka peninsula. Here archaeologists have discovered more than 2500 ancient graves, some of which contained impressive artifacts such as painted pottery, funerary reliefs, jewels terracotta figurines, etc. 

The collection of ancient Greek vases from the necropolis is among the richest in the world. The most representative part of it is kept in the Archaeological Museum – Sozopol, Bulgaria but some artifacts are now in the Louvre Museum (Paris, France), the Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia), the Pergamon Museum (Berlin, Germany) and the National History Museum in Sofia, Bulgaria. The vessels conserved during the workshop originate from the ritual fireplaces in the necropolis. They are provided by the Archaeological Museum – Sozopol, Bulgaria.   

Each year the Workshop contributes to the conservation of a number of vessels from the collection of the museum in Sozopol.


   The Workshop

The Workshop for Conservation of Ancient Greek Pottery will guide the participants through the history of Ancient Greek pottery and the process of pottery conservation, restoration, documentation and study. Both the theoretical and practical courses will be based on Ancient Greek pottery from sites on the Western Black Sea coast. The course includes three modules: 1) practical work in the conservation of ancient pottery (involving authentic pottery sherds found in the necropolis of Apollonia Pontica); 2) lectures on topics related to the archaeological context of the conserved vessels and the conservation process of ancient Greek pottery in general; 3) excursions to the ancient coastal towns of Nessebar (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and a sightseeing tour of Sozopol (including study visits to their archaeological museums). There is also an optional excursion to Istanbul at the very end of the field school (June 20-22). Refer to the Course Program and Agenda below.

   

By the end of the workshop, the participants will:

  • become familiar with the basic methods for the conservation and documentation of ancient pottery;
  • develop basic/further practical skills (depending on the participant's initial level of qualification) in ancient pottery conservation and illustration;
  • deepen their knowledge of ancient Mediterranean/European History and Archaeology through hands-on experience
  • meet professionals, who work in the areas of Classical Archaeology and Pottery Conservation and Documentation.

The workshop has taken place since 2009.  The instructors and students have conserved more than 180 Ancient Greek vessels.

  

Students who need to prepare reports and presentations for their universities will receive additional instruction and assistance.

 

All participants will receive:

  • Project handbook (in PDF by e-mail );
  • Balkan Heritage Field School Certificate specifying the topics and the hours of the fieldschool activities (fieldwork, lectures, workshops, educational trips, ets.).   
  • T-shirt.

The Team

  • Daniela Cherneva (PhD in Conservation and Restoration of Red Figure Ancient Greek Ceramics with Polychrome Decoration) - Chief instructor, Balkan Heritage Foundation Affiliate Conservator 
  • Biljana J. Peeva - Instructor, Conservator of Pottery and glass Artifacts at National Institution Stobi (R. of N. Macedonia).
  • Teodora Bogdanova, (PhD in Classical Archaeology) - Lecturer, Department of Classical Archaeology at National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences & Adjunct Professor, CPCE, New Bulgarian University 
  • Margarit Damyanov (PhD in Archaeology) - Lecturer, Department of Thracian Archaeology at National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences     
  • Alexander Manev (PhD candidate) - Lecturer, Department of Classical Archaeology at National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

The Program

The workshop provides a minimum of 75 hours of training, instructions, lectures and guided tours as follows:

Lectures

  • Conservation of Ancient Greek Pottery (part I & part II)
  • Technology, Typology and Chronology of the Greek and Hellenistic Pottery with Examples from Apollonia Pontica 
  • Ancient Greek Cemeteries and Funeral Rites with Examples from the western Black Sea Coast (according to historical and archaeological evidence)   
  • History and Archaeology of Apollonia Pontica

Workshops  

  • Conservation of Ancient Greek Pottery (with original fragmented vessels discovered in the necropolis of Apollonia Pontica)
  • Archaeological Documentation of Ancient Greek Pottery (drawing, graphic reconstruction, photographing, description, etc.) 

       

Guided Tours

The Agenda

 

First day

Arrival and check-in by 7.30 pm.

8.00 pm - Traditional Bulgarian Welcome Dinner

Second day

Morning: Breakfast

Presentation of the Balkan Heritage Field School and collaborative universities & institutions, the project and the participants. Ice-breakers. Town sightseeing and an orientation walk.

Afternoon: Lectures

- Dinner


Work days

7.50 - 8.30 am - Breakfast;

8.30 - 1. 00 pm - Workshops on conservation of Ancient Greek Pottery; 

1.00 - 3.30 pm - Lunch and free time; 

3.30 - 7.30 pm - Lectures and workshops on conservation and documentation of Ancient Greek pottery; 

7.30 - 9.00 pm - Dinner.


Excursions

8.00 - 9.00 am - Breakfast;   

10.00 am - 5.00 pm - Visit to destination*

  • Optional excursion to Istanbul (20-22 June) after the official end of the project (NOT covered by the reimbursement payment)
Day-off

1 day

Departure day

8.00-10.00 am - Breakfast;   

Check-out by 11:30 am


The Pack Details

 

Content and Dates:

Workshop for Conservation of Ancient Greek Pottery

(AGPC 25) - Two-week session: June 07 - 21, 2025

Workshop for Conservation of Roman Glass

(RGC 25) - Two-week session: June 22 - July 05, 2025

Fees and Credits:

Early bird reimbursement fee: 4649 EUR (approx. 4649 USD)

Regular reimbursement fee: 4999 (approx. 4999 USD)

Number of credit hours available: up to 12


Reading background   

 

Boardman, John. The History of Greek Vases: Potters, Painters and Pictures, 2006, Thames & Hudson.

Bouzek, J. Studies of Greek Pottery in the Black Sea Area. Oxford, 2003.   

Cherneva, D. Richly Decorated Pottery from Apollonia Pontica (4th Century B.C.). Technical Study, Damage Phenomena, and Approach to Conservation. - Report in the Interim Meeting of the ICOM-CC and Glass Working Group and Corpus Vitrearum - ICOMOS in Amsterdam (In print)

Cherneva, D. Investigations on the Gilding Technology of Antique Ceramics from Apollonia Pontica. Archaeologia Bulgarica, XVII, 2, Sofia, 2013, 39-53.

Cherneva, D. Archaeological glass from a mound in Pamuklia (Bulgaria),1st -2nd century AD: Identification, damage phenomena and conservation, Poster, 17th Triennial Conference ICOM-CC, 2014 Melbourne, Australia.

Cook, R., P. Dupont. East Greek Pottery. London, New York, 1998. p. 1-10; 26 – 70; 77 – 94; 129 – 131; 192 – 206.   

Cook, Robert Manuel. Greek Painted Pottery (Handbook of Archaeology), 1997, Routledge.

Panayotova, K. Burial and post-burial rites in the necropolises of the Greek colonies on the Bulgarian Black Sea Littoral. - In: Ancient Greek Colonies in the Black Sea - 2, vol. I. BAR International Series, 2007, 87 – 126.

Panayotova, K. The Necropolis of Apollonia Pontica in Kalfata / Bugjaka: In.- Docter, R., Kr. Panayotova, J. de Boer, L. Donnellan, W. van der Put, B. Bechtold, Apollonia Pontica, 2007, Gent, 2007

Pavlova, L., D. Cherneva, N. Velinov. Study on Red-figure Ancient Ceramics. - In Proceedings of the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, Sofia, 2011. 

Pena, J. Theodore. Pottery in the Archaeological Record, 2007.

Sparkes, Brian. Greek Pottery. The Introduction., 1991, Manchester University Press.

   

Travel, Accommodation & Practicalities


Travel

   

Project venue: National Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Debelt

The nearest air terminals: Burgas airport (45 km/28 mi), Varna airport (160 km/100 mi). If participants arrive at one of these airports, a transfer to Sozopol may be arranged by request.  Transfers can be shared by several participants.

How to get there? Bus lines connect Sozopol with Burgas, Sofia (the Bulgarian capital) and Plovdiv.

All participants will receive a travel info-sheet in advance with basic travel instructions and information on how to get to the hotel.

Visa requirements: Citizens of EU, EEA, USA, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand do not need a visa to visit Bulgaria for up to 90 days or any of Bulgaria’s neighboring countries, except Turkey. However, the Turkish government facilitates tourism by providing the option for obtaining an e-visa at www.evisa.gov.tr/en/. Citizens of all other countries may need a visa. The Balkan Heritage Foundation can send an official invitation letter that should be used at the relevant embassy to secure a visa to the program. For further details please visit our Visa information page.  

Bulgaria joined Europe's vast Schengen area of free movement, opening up travel by air and sea without border.

 


Accommodation & Meals

   

Accommodation*: Accommodation will be at the archaeological base part of National Archaeological Reserve - Deultum, which is located 22 km from Burgas. It has comfortable ensuite rooms with two to three beds. Free use of wi-fi, washing machine, and kitchen. Bed linen and towels are provided. Wi-Fi is available on the first floor of the lobby area.

Meals: Daily breakfast, lunch and dinners are covered by the reimbursement payment. Lunch & dinners are served in a nearby tavern. Food variety is represented by typical Balkan dishes combining fresh vegetables, dairy and meat. Vegetarian options are also available.    


Free Time & Trips

   

Free time:  Leisure activities during the free time as swimming, sunbathing, walking, etc. can be facilitated by organizers.

Extra trips and excursions: BHFS participants could take advantage of their stay in the Balkans and take trips to some worth seeing historical sites and towns nearby. BHFS encourages participants in the current project to visit after the field school:   

  • Ancient city of Plovdiv on their way to the Bulgarian capital Sofia (the entire trip from Sozopol is about 370 km/ 230 mi)
  • Istanbul, Turkey (340 km/ 215 mi from Sozopol).   

The optional excursion to Istanbul (June 20-22) organized by the BHFS will include a visit to the following:

Transport, accommodation, meals, health insurance for Turkey and local guides will be included in the price of the excursion (this excursion is not covered by the reimbursement payment).

   


Technicalities & Practicalities

   

Insurance: The reimbursement payment does not cover medical costs. It is mandatory to arrange your own insurance before your trip to Bulgaria. The insurance must cover as a minimum the following risks: medical treatment in case of an accident or disease,  as well as costs related to evacuation and repatriation.

Weather: A southern European (subtropical) climate dominates in the region, making summers hot (30-40° C/ 86-104° F) but breezy. Rainy and chilly days in this season are rare but not excluded.

What to bring?

  • Participants are expected to bring clothing suitable for the workshop’s environment (both urban areas and countryside) and the weather conditions from hot and sunny to chilly and rainy. Light clothes and sun hats for sunny days as well as raincoats for probable rainy and windy days are recommended.    
  • Comfortable shoes - visiting some of the sites requires walking on country roads and medieval cobblestone streets.     
  • Wide brim hat   
  • A small backpack (for your water bottle, snacks, camera, etc.) 
  • Swimming suits and sunscreen
  • Medication - all the prescription medication you may need. It is not necessary to bring non-prescription medicine from your country since you can buy all basic non-prescription drugs in Bulgaria.
  • A converter to EU type electricity wall-plug if needed.   
  • EQUIPMENT: Participants are encouraged to bring their PC’s having at least 6 GB free disk space, a mouse and an USB flash drive. Operating system recommended: Windows Vista or newer. 
  •  A good attitude for work, fun, study and adventures ;)

   

The Cost   

 

All field schools are conducted as non-profit projects by the Balkan Heritage Foundation, Bulgaria. Their costs, including students' costs related to participation in the field school are covered by the reimbursement payments made by field school students.

BHFS project reimbursement payment covers: Educational and fieldwork activities, accommodation & food, tools, materials, project handbook or readings, issue of Certificate of Attendance, administrative costs, travel related to the fieldwork and the excursions included in the field school program plus relevant entrance fees.

BHFS project reimbursement payment does not include: travel costs to and from the project venue or related to activities not included in the field school program; medical products and services and any expenses related to medical quarantine (food delivery, accommodation, etc.).

  

The costs in USD are approximate. Please check current exchange rates!

   

Early Bird Cost - until March 31, 2025:

   

Early Bird Cost for two-week project session is 2399 EUR/ approx. 2606 USD

   

Regular Cost - after March 31, 2025:

   

The Regular Cost for two-week project session is 2599 EUR / approx. 2823 USD

     


Reimbursement Transfer Options:

- Bank transfer
- Online transfers via the Balkan Heritage virtual POS Terminal. VISA, MASTERCARD & MAESTRO cards are accepted.      
Wise money transfer

For further information contact Admissions Office at: [email protected]!

 Discounts off the regular cost:

* 5% DISCOUNT OFF the regular cost available for:

  1. Participation in more than one BHFS project in 2025 (discount applies to the second, third, etc. project).
  2. Membership in the Archaeological Institute of America.

* 10% DISCOUNT OFF the regular cost available for:

  1. Participation in any BHFS project/s in the past.

* 12% DISCOUNT OFF the regular cost available for:

  1. Group Participation (three or more people who participate together in one BHFS project in 2025). The discount is valid for each participant.

* 15% DISCOUNT OFF the regular cost is available for:

  1. Group Participation (three or more people, who participate in more than one BHFS project in 2025 (the discount is valid for each participant).
  2. BHFS alumni, who participate in more than one BHFS project in 2025. (discount applies to the second, third, etc. project).
  3. BHFS alumni who attended a full project in the past and return to the same project.

NOTE, 5% OF EVERY COST FOR THIS PROJECT DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE BALKAN HERITAGE PROTECTION FUND'S ACTIVITIES!

For more information about scholarships, low-cost flights, hotels, etc. please feel free to contact us or look at our recommended links.

Academic Credits

New Bulgarian University grants 6 ECTS credit units for attending the field school. Transcripts of Records (ToR) are available upon request for an additional tuition fee of 400 EUR for EU students and 600 EUR for Non-EU students.    

Details: Regulations for Obtaining Transcripts of Records.    

Participants in the field school who do not need academic credit units are not expected to pay for them.

Map

 

Bulgaria

Workshop for Conservation of Ancient Greek Pottery


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