Photogrammetry Workshop

The Project and the Course

General Information

Project type: Photogrammetry Workshop

The field school started: 2024   

Location: Archaeological Site of Stobi, Republic of North Macedonia

Project venue: Archaeological Site of Stobi, Republic of North Macedonia

Period(s) of occupation: Roman and Late Roman    

Major field school topics/activities: Technical Photography for Archaeological Excavations, Project Planning, Total Station Surveying, Terrestrial Photogrammetry, Aerial Photogrammetry, Photogrammetric Data Processing & Analysis

BHF partners in this project: National Institution Stobi, Queen’s University, New Bulgarian University

Main instructor: Kristen Jones Ph.D. Candidate in Geography, MA in Classics and Archaeology, Queen's University, Canada; Ass. Prof. George Bevan, Queen’s University Department of Geography & Planning, Canada

Field school coordinator: Dr. Angela Pencheva (Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology), Balkan Heritage Program Manager   

Field school sessions available:

• Two-week session: 12 - 26 July, 2025

Application deadlines: until the places are filled or June 12, 2025

Minimum length of stay for participants: two weeks

Minimum age: 18

Number of field school places available: Maximum 10

Project language: English   

Academic credits: 6 ECTS credits are available through New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria. 

Experience required: No previous experience is required.

Special requirements: Participation in the project is not recommended for individuals with solar allergies or other special illnesses that might be exacerbated during intensive outdoor activities. The average summer temperatures in the area are 25-38° C (77 - 100° F) or higher. All participants should bring clothes and toiletries suitable for hot and sunny weather but should also prepare for possible rainy, windy and chilly days. 

The participants should have medical insurance including repatriation. The participants should inform the project staff about any health issues, allergies, and food preferences.         

The Site and the Excavation Project   

Why Stobi? The first historic records to mention Stobi belong to the Roman historian Titus Livy ( ca. 197 BCE). According to Livy, Stobi became an important center for salt trading after the Roman conquest of Macedonia and the establishment of Pax Romana. In 69 CE, Emperor Vespasian granted Stobi the rank of municipium and the right to mint its own coins. Stobi was not only an important salt trading center but also strategically located at the crossroads of the ancient roads that ran along the two rivers Axios (Vardar) and Erigon (Crna). The first road connected the North and South of the Balkans as it does today, while the second to the southwest connected Stobi with the Via Egnatia near Heraclea Lyncestis (present-day Bitola) and to the northeast continued to Serdica (present-day Sofia).

This commercial and strategic position brought Stobi long-term prosperity, especially in the period between the 1 st and 3rd centuries CE. Several monumental buildings in the city are dated to this period: the Theater, the first City Wall, Porta Heraclea, the Public Building with Arches (most probably the Stobi library), the Casa Romana, the Synagogue, as well as the water supply system. In 267 CE the city suffered from raids conducted by the Goths and Herules. At the end of the 3rd century CE, Stobi was devastated by an earthquake; it was later rebuilt but following a different urban plan. Most of the ruins visible today belong to buildings dating to this period.

In the 4 th century CE, Stobi became an important Christian center and the seat of powerful bishops. Late, in the 5 th- 6th centuries, Stobi was the capital city of the Roman province Macedonia Secunda, but suffered from the raids of Huns, Ostrogoths, Avars and Slavs. The constant threat of barbarian raids as well as certain climatic changes lead to the gradual abandonment of the city in the second half of the 6 th century CE. Some records mention a small Slavic community that settled and lived there in later centuries. The last historical reference regarding Stobi describes the victory of the Byzantine troops over Stobi’s local militia during the 11 th century CE. 

The Field School

The Balkan Heritage Foundation has been conducting an archaeological field school at Stobi since 2010. In 2025, a Photogrammetry Workshop will be opening that will introduce participants of all backgrounds to digital documentation techniques in the context of ongoing archaeological research.

Photogrammetry is defined as the art and science of taking measurements from photographs. Over the course of 10 working days, participants will learn how to plan projects, collect data, and process results through a combination of lectures, workshops, and field training with real materials on-site and in a laboratory setting. This program will address computational photography and surveying for archaeological excavations starting from the basic optics of digital cameras and surveying instruments to combining these methods to collect data in the field and process it for various 3D results. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to contextualize a digital documentation workflow from start to finish.   

The Field School in 2025 Includes the Following Main Topics:

• Technical Photography for Archaeological Excavations
• Project Planning  
• Total Station Surveying  
• UAV Operations
• Terrestrial Photogrammetry
• Aerial Photogrammetry
• Photogrammetric Data Processing 

• Data Analysis  

• Archaeological Drawing & Documentation      

The first week of the project will introduce students to the equipment, data collection, and processing workflows in the field and lab. In the second week, students will choose a project in groups to be undertaken from start to finish under supervision of the instructors.  

Students who must prepare field reports and presentations for their universities can receive additional instruction and assistance.

All participants will receive:

• Balkan Heritage Field School Certificate specifying the fieldwork hours educational modules, and sites visited;   
• Course Readings 
• T-shirt.

The Team   

Instructors and Trainers:

• Kristen Jones (MA in Classics & Archaeology; PhD Student, Department of Geography & Planning, Queen's University, Canada)   
• Dr. George Bevan (PhD in Classics; Associate Professor at Queen’s University Department of Geography & Planning, Canada)

Program learning outcomes

Fieldwork & Workshops:

• Total Station Set-Up & Operation  
• UAV Operation
• Camera Calibration
• Terrestrial Photogrammetry
• Aerial Photogrammetry with UAVs  
• Field Photography  
• Photogrammetric Project Planning  
• Data Processing 
• Working with 3D Data
• Drawing in AutoCAD

Lectures:

• History of the Archaeological Site of Stobi
• Surveying for Archaeological Sites
• Introduction to Technical Photography
• Control Network & Surveying Basics
• Principles of Photogrammetry
• 3D Data Analysis
• Digital Mapping Principles

Guided Tours (covered by the participation fee):   

• Archaeological Site of Heraclea Lyncestis & Modern Town of Bitola
• Ancient City of Lychnidos & Modern Town of Ohrid

Fieldwork will take place at the site   

Lectures & Workshops will take place at facilities and labs next to the site

   Reading Background

Albertz, J. 2007. A Look Back: 140 Years of ‘Photogrammetry’: Some Remarks on the History of Photogrammetry. Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing, 504-506.          

Dallas, R.W.A. 1996. Architectural and Archaeological Photogrammetry. In Close Range Photogrammetry and Machine Vision ed. K.B. Atkinson. Wittles Publishing: Caithness. 283-302.         

Grussenmeyer, P., Hanke, K., & Steilein, A. 2002. Architectural Photogrammetry. In Digital Photogrammetry ed. M. Kasser & Y. Egels. Taylor & Francis, 300-339.

Jones, K., & Bevan, G. 2019. A Photogrammteric Workflow for Rapid Site Documentation at Stobi, Republic of North Macedonia. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing & Spatial Information Sciences XLII-2/W11, 631-658.

McGlone, J. & Lee, G., 2013. Manual of Photogrammetry Sixth Edition. ASPRS: Maryland.

Raykovska, M., Jones, K., Vasilev, I. 2023. A Photographic Documentation Workflow for Digitization of Cultural Heritage: the 14th Century Church of Sv. Nikola in Kalotina, Bulgaria. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing & Spatial Information Sciences XLVIII-M-2, 1287-1293.

Remondino, F. and Fraser, C., 2006. Digital Camera Calibration Methods: Considerations and Comparisons. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 36(5), 266-272.

Wolf, P.R., Dewitt, B.A. and Wilkinson, B.E., 2014. Elements of Photogrammetry with Applications in GIS. McGraw-Hill Education.

Waldhaeusl, P., Ogleby, C., 1994. 3x3-Rules for Simple Photogrammetric Documentation of Architecture. International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing XXX(5), 426-429.    

 For history and  archaeology of Stobi please check the readings for:  Stobi (The Capital City of Macedonia Secunda) Excavation

Travel & Accommodation & Practicalities

Travel

The nearest airports: Skopje, R. of North Macedonia (80 km/49 mi) and Thessaloniki, Greece (160 km/100 mi.)Transfers to Stobi from these airports may be arranged by request. Individual or group transfer prices may vary, depending on the number of passengers, from 80 to 200 EUR.

How to get there? Stobi is located in the center of the Republic of North Macedonia. It can be easily accessed by: 1. travelling by bus or car on highway E-75 (from Athens, Greece to Belgrade, Serbia and Central Europe across R. of North Macedonia) - the highway exit STOBI is just in front of the site's entrance; 2. catching a bus/train from Skopje (R. of North Macedonia) or Thessaloniki (Greece) - the stop is at Gradsko (5 km. away from Stobi), from there participants/visitors can get a taxi to Stobi or request a free pick-up available from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm on arrival day (please ask for details); 3. from neighboring towns of Negotino (13 km) and Kavadartsi (20 km) participants can take a bus to Gradsko or a taxi directly to Stobi.

A detailed travel info-sheet will be provided to enrolled students.

Visa requirements: Citizens of EU, EEA, USA, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand do not need a visa to visit Republic of North Macedonia for up to 90 days. 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.

Accommodation & Meals

Accommodation: Participants will be accommodated in the recently renovated air-conditioned cabins at the archaeological base next to the ancient ruins of Stobi, in rooms with two to three beds. Every cabin has 4 bedrooms and a living room, 2 bathrooms with showers and a WC. A washing machine and Wi-Fi are available for free at the site.

Meals: Three meals (fresh, homemade food) per day are covered by the reimbursement payment. They usually take place (except for the lunch packages during the excursions) at the base's premises. Requests for vegetarian food are accepted. Specialized diets (vegan, kosher, gluten-free etc.) are difficult to maintain in this location.

Participants must pay on their own for extra meals, beverages, services and products. There is no option for single-room accommodation at Stobi.

Free Time & Trips

Free time:  Films, sports games and visits to the neighboring towns/villages are the options for free time in the evenings.

Technicalities & Practicalities

Insurance: The reimbursement payment does not cover insurance. It is mandatory to arrange your own health 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. All EU citizens can use Bulgarian medical services, as long as they can provide evidence of their home-country health insurance with a card/certificate, etc.

Weather: South-European climate dominates in the field school area, making summers hot (30-40° C, 86-104° F). Rainy and chilly days in this season are rare but not excluded.

What to bring?

• Camera: The program will have cameras available but participants are encouraged to bring their own cameras if they wish. Suitable cameras include those that can be operated in a fully manual mode such as DSLR cameras or some mirrorless cameras. Cell phone cameras will not be suitable.

• Computer: The program will have computers set up for data processing. If students do bring their own computers, an external mouse and USB stick are strongly encouraged.

• Software: The program will be utilizing software that is available for trial during the workshop. No software purchases will be necessary.

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, full-board accommodation (hotel + 3 meals per day), 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 the current exchange rates!

Early Bird Cost -  until January 31, 2025:

Early Bird Cost for a the project session is  2799 EUR/ approx. 2799 USD

Regular Cost - after January 31, 2025:

The Regular Cost for a the project session is  2999 EUR/ approx. 2999 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 credits to students for attending the one-week session. 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.

For 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.