Workshop for Conservation of Ancient Greek Pottery

The Project and the Course

General information  

Project type: Conservation workshop and field school. The various activities and team's flexibility make this project suitable for both beginners and advanced 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 (6^th – 2^nd 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:  

• New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria;    
• Apollonia Pontica excavation team: National Institute of Archaeology and Museum,  
• Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,  
• Archaeological Museum of Sozopol.  

Workshop director: Dr. 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

Field School Dates: June 20 - July 04, 2026

Application Deadlines: May 20, 2026

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   

Visa Note: Citizens of the EU, EEA, UK, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand do not need entry visas for Bulgaria. Those from countries not specified should check in advance if they require entry visas for either or both countries, and any associated costs will be the responsibility of the participants.

Special requirements: Good physical condition and command of manual operations. All participants should bring clothes and toiletries suitable for hot and sunny weather, although chilly and rainy weather is rare, but not unheard of. It is recommended that participants bring their laptops with at least 6 GB of free disk space and a mouse. Operation system recommended: Windows 11 or newer. All participants are expected to prepare for the workshop by reading the BHFS handbook (the BHFS e-handbook will be sent by email 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 an 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 6^th - 2nd century BCE and 4^th - 6^th 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). 

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 been taking 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 field school activities (fieldwork, lectures, workshops, educational trips, etc.).   
• 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 - (M.A. in Inorganic Technology and Environmental protection. Specialty Characterization of archaeological pottery), BHF Affiliate Conservator of Pottery and Glass Artefacts 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 the 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 authentic fragmented vessels discovered in the necropolis of Apollonia Pontica)
• Archaeological Documentation of Ancient Greek Pottery (drawing, graphic reconstruction, photographing, description, etc.) 

     

Guided Tours

• Guided visit of Sozopol: the Old Town Quarter and Archaeological Museum
• Guided visit of Nessebar: the Old Town Quarter and Archaeological Museum.              

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),1^st -2^nd 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: Sofia Airport, Burgas Airport (45 km/28 mi), Varna Аirport (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.

A detailed travel info-sheet for reaching the site from the nearest international airport will be provided for enrolled students.

All students are individually responsible for arranging and covering the cost of their trip to the host country, including booking flights and obtaining any necessary travel documents or visas (if applicable). 

Visa Requirements: Citizens of the EU, EEA, UK, USA, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand do not need a visa to visit Bulgaria. Citizens of all other countries may need a visa. The Balkan Heritage Foundation can provide an official invitation letter to facilitate the visa application process at the relevant embassy. For further details, please visit our visa information page. Bulgaria is a full member of the Schengen Area and part of this borderless zone, allowing people to travel between Bulgaria and other Schengen countries without passport checks at land borders. Holders of a valid Schengen visa issued by another Schengen country can enter Bulgaria using that visa.

Accommodation & Meals

Accommodation*: Accommodation will be at the archaeological base part of the National Archaeological Reserve - Deultum, which is located 22 km from Burgas. It has comfortable en-suite 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 dinner 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 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 historical towns and sites worth seeing. 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).   

Technicalities & Practicalities

Insurance: The reimbursement payment does not cover medical costs. Students must arrange their own insurance before their 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 unheard of.   

Conservation and documentation tools and materials, as well as working gloves are available at the site’s lab!

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 possible rainy and windy days are recommended.      
• Standard white lab coat 
• 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 medication from your country since you can buy all basic non-prescription drugs in Bulgaria. Make sure to have all your medication in your carry-on luggage while traveling.
• A converter to an 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 11 or newer.    
• E-SIM or Data Roaming: We strongly recommend that participants purchase an e-SIM card with mobile internet tailored to their personal needs while in Bulgaria, unless they have coverage through their data roaming plan. While the hotels provide internet access, we cannot guarantee its quality or reliability, which may include interruptions, excessive network load, or potential server issues.
•  A good attitude for work, fun, study and adventures ;)

The Cost   

All field schools are organized as non-profit initiatives by the Balkan Heritage Foundation. The expenses related to participation in the field school, including costs incurred by participants, are financed through reimbursement payments made by the participants themselves.

BHFS project reimbursement payment includes coverage for: educational and fieldwork activities, accommodation and meals, tools and materials, access to project readings, issuance of a Certificate of Attendance, administrative costs, and travel related to fieldwork and excursions included in the program, along with relevant entrance fees.

BHFS project reimbursement payment does not cover: travel expenses to and from Sofia, nor any costs associated with activities not included in the field school program. Additionally, it does not include medical products and services or any expenses related to medical quarantine (such as food delivery or accommodation).

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

Early Bird Cost - until May 20, 2026:

Early Bird Cost for the two-week project session is 2799 EUR/ approx. 3200 USD

Regular Cost - after May 20, 2026:

The Regular Cost for the two-week project session is 2999 EUR / approx. 3500 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 the 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 2026 (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 2026). 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 2026 (the discount is valid for each participant).
2. BHFS alumni who participate in more than one BHFS project in 2026. (discount applies to the second, third, etc. project).
3. BHFS alumni who attended a full project in the past and returned 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 credits are not expected to pay for them.