Workshops for Conservation of Roman Pottery and Glass

The Project and the Course

General information

Project type: Conservation workshop & field school. The variety of activities and team flexibility make this project suitable for both Beginners and Advanced (either volunteers or students) in pottery and glass conservation.

The field school started: 2009

Artifacts & monuments in the project's focus: Roman and Late Roman pottery and glass  from the ancient city of Stobi, Republic of Macedonia; Replicas of Roman and Late Roman Glass Vessels.   

See the published results of the workshop (2010 - 2014) here 

Periods in the project's focus: Roman and Late Roman (2nd century - 6th century CE)  

Venue: Archaeological site of Stobi, Republic of Macedonia. The Hellenistic, Roman and Late Roman city was a significant urban center in Antiquity and capital of the Roman province Macedonia Secunda in the Late Antiquity.    

Stobi was included in the 2012 world monuments watch list among the monuments with universal significance - Read more here!

Major workshop activities: The main goal for this program to provide theoretical and hands-on training experience on pottery and glass conservation. It does so through the exposure of students to Stobi's site lab, enabling them to evaluate and appreciate similarities and differences in conservation problems, approaches, methods, technique, design and material choice applied on different types of artifacts. The participants will work with authentic pottery and glass vessels from the ancient city of Stobi, as well as terracotta figurines.

BHF partners in this project: NI Stobi, Republic of Macedonia, New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria

Workshop director: Dr Silvana Blazhevska (Director of NI Stobi, PhD in Classical Archaeology)

Chief conservator: Bilyana Jankulovska - Peeva (Conservator, NI Stobi)

Field School coordinators: Dr Angela Pencheva (Balkan Heritage Foundation & Field School Program Manager) and Bilyana Jankulovska - Peeva (Conservator, NI Stobi)

Project session available:

• Session 1: Two week session on pottery conservation: 2 -16 June, 2018

     

• Session 2: Three week session on pottery & glass conservation: 2 - 22 June, 2018   
  

Application deadlines: until the places are filled, or 1 May, 2018

Minimum length of stay: Two weeks

Minimum age: 18 (16, if the participant is accompanied by an adult family member)

Number of field school places available: Maximum 8

Language: English

Experience required: None (NB! Except for students who would like to attend only the glass conservation course.)

Special requirements: Good physical condition and command of manual operations. The average summer temperatures in the area are 25-38 C or higher. All participants should bring clothes and cosmetics suitable for hot and sunny weather, although the weather in June might be sometimes chilly. It is recommended that participants bring their laptops having at least 20 GB free disk space and a mouse. Operating system recommended: Windows XP or newer, Mac OSX or newer. All participants are expected to prepare for the workshop by reading at least 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 site and are not expected to bring any additional equipment.

The Workshop

In 2018, the Workshop for Conservation and Documentation of Roman Pottery and Glass will be hosted for an eighth year by the National Institution Stobi, Macedonia at the Roman city of Stobi (today an archaeological park). It provides an unique opportunity for students and volunteers to gain comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience in Roman and Late Roman pottery and glass conservation. It guides the participants through the history and technology of Roman and Late Roman pottery and glass and consequent stages of their study, conservation, restoration and documentation. Both the theoretical and practical courses will be based on ceramic and glass vessels found in the ancient city of Stobi.    

During the first two project weeks students begin their training with replicas of ancient vessels and then progress to originals once they reach an acceptable level of skill, accuracy and precision. Most students will be able to master conservation and restoration efforts within the course of this field school and expect to complete work on 3-5 artifacts by the end of the program, depending on the initial state of objects’ conservation, the necessity of conservation treatment and the individual performance of the student.    

The activities in the third project week will be focused on basic principles in conservation of ancient glass. The participants will practice on originals and replicas of Roman glass vessels.    

The project includes three modules: practical work in documentation and conservation of Roman and Late Roman pottery and glass: lectures, training and behind-the-scenes study visits and excursions to the town of Bitola, the archaeological site of Heraclea Lyncestis, Ohrid and Ohrid Lake (UNESCO World Heritage Site),ancient Macedonian capitals in Pella and Vergina (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Greece as well as to a traditional pottery workshop. Refer to the Course description and Workshop agenda below!

By the end of the workshop the participants will:

• be able to develop basic/further practical skills (depending on participant's initial level of qualification) in ancient pottery and glass conservation. 
• get acquainted with the basic methods of all the required documentation for conservation and restoration of ancient pottery and glass, which includes: drawing by hand and using graphic software, as well as photo documentation. 
• learn about the forms, types and technology of Roman and Late Roman pottery and glassware.   
• deepen their knowledge through first-hand experience of Roman and Late Roman History and Archaeology in the region of ancient Macedonia.
• meet professionals who work in the areas of Pottery and Glass Conservation, as well as Classical Archaeology.            

All participants will receive:

• Project handbook (in PDF version by e-mail and a hard copy upon arrival);
• Balkan Heritage Field School Certificate specifying the fieldwork hours, educational modules, and sites visited;   
• T-shirt.

   NB! Students who must prepare field reports and presentations for their universities can receive additional instruction and assistance. Students willing to obtain academic credit hours have to take a test exam.

STOBI INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL TOUR

Archaeological and historical context

Why Stobi? The first historic records to mention Stobi were written by 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 and Erigon. 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 and to the northeast continued to Serdica.

This commercial and strategic position brought Stobi long-term prosperity, especially in the period between the 1^st and 3^rd 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 Herulean. At the end of the 3rd century 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-6^th 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 Slav 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 Program

Two-week workshop session will focus only on pottery conservation and will provide a minimum of 80 hours of practical work, workshops/lab work, lectures/instructions and guided tours as follows:    

Workshops and practical work:         

• Conservation and Restoration of Roman and Late Roman ceramic vessels (with fragmented pottery from Stobi) - series of workshops;

• Archaeological Documentation and Illustration (drawing, graphic reconstruction, image processing using graphic software, photographing, description etc.) of  Roman and Late Roman ceramic vessels - series of workshops;      

Lectures 

• Review of Basic Methods for Uncovering, "first aid", Consolidation in situ, Cleaning, Sorting out and Storing of Ceramic Artifacts
• Material Science and Technology. Clay Properties and Changes during Firing        
• Deterioration of Ceramics Objects. Soluble Salts, Porosity, Firing; Choosing the Most Appropriate Conservation Treatment for Each Object
• Conservation and Restoration of Roman and Late Roman Objects. Basic Steps and Principles. Ethics and Conservation. Cleaning of Ceramic Objects: methods of dirt removal, mechanical and chemical methods of salt efflorescence removal, desalination of the ceramic body. Extraction of cleaning and/or desalination agents from the ceramic body. Consolidation – need, methods and materials; requirements. Assembly of the fragments – adhesives and requirements. Methods of temporary fixing. Molds and temporary supports. Gap filling, modelling and finishing touches.             

• Required Documentation for Pottery and Glass Conservation.   

• • Graphic documentation
  • Graphic reconstruction
  • Photographing
  • Conservation journal
  • Conservation history list 

     

       

  • List of used materials and safety data sheets
    
• Ancient Traditions and Technologies in Ceramic Production;   
• Typology and Chronology of Roman and Late Roman Pottery (with Examples from Stobi);   
• Archaeological Record and Illustration of Roman and Late Roman pottery;   
• Introduction to Technical Photography
• History of Stobi and Macedonia in the Roman and Late Roman period (second century BCЕ - sixth century CE);
• History of Heraclea Lyncestis and Bitola;  
• History of Ohrid, the ancient city of Lichnidos (UNSCO Heritage Site);   

Guided tours:   

• "Behind the scene" visit of authentic pottery workshop in Veles - Experimenting with pottery making;
• The Roman and Late Roman city of Heraclea Lyncestis and Bitola;
• Ohrid, the ancient city of Lychnidos (UNESCO Heritage Site).

The three-week field school session will focus on pottery and glass conservation and will provide a minimum of 120 astronomical hours of practical work, workshops/lab work, lectures/instructions and guided tours. The three-week session's educational activities incorporate all two-week session's ones plus the following:     

Workshops and practical work:    

Conservation of Roman and Late Roman Glass Objects (with fragmented replicas of Roman vessels):

Mechanical and chemical cleaning of selected original Roman and Late Roman glass shards      

Recording and documentation of glass shards and vessels

Preliminary assembly, final assembly using medical tape, application of omega clips, application of resin, removal of the omega clips, cleaning of extra resin and adhesive, mold making (using dental silicon and rubber) application of the gap filling resin, refining the additions.

Lectures:   

•  History of Pre-Roman and Roman Glass Technology. Chemical Composition of Glass. Forms of natural silica, forms of natural glasses, core formed glass vessels, mosaic glass; mold formed vessels, glass blowing, free blown vessels, mold blown objects, cage cups etc.   
• Basic Techniques in Ancient Glass Conservation and Restoration: Deterioration of glass, chemical deterioration, superficial disfigurement, physical damage, cleaning of glass, preliminary assembly, final assembly using medical tape, application of omega clips, application of resin, removal of the omega clips, cleaning of extra resin and adhesive, mold making (using dental silicon and rubber) application of the gap filling resin, refining the additions
• Materials Used for Cleaning, Stabilization and Conservation of Ancient Glass. Choosing a consolidants and adhesives for archaeological glass; different resin types, solubility, ageing properties, reversibility, working properties
• Roman and Late Roman Glass Forms, Based on Examples from Stobi
• History and archaeology of Pella and Vergina (UNESCO World Heritage Site)      

   

Guided tours to:     

• Pella and Vergina (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Lectures will take place at the cabins, lab and the site.   Workshops will take place at Stobi's lab. Instructions and training - will take place at Stobi's lab.

Reading background   

Balkan Heritage Foundation, National Institution Stobi, 2016 - Workshop for Conservation of Roman and Late Roman Pottery from Stobi (2010 - 2014)

Anderson-Stojanovic,V.R., Stobi, The Hellenistic and Roman Pottery (Princeton University Press, 1992).   

Bray, Ch., Dictionary of Glass, Materials and Techniques (Pennsylvania Press, 2001)   

Buys, S., V. Oakley - The Conservation and Restoration of Ceramics, (Oxford, 1993); 3-163.

Davison, S. - Conservation and Restoration of Glass, (Oxford, 2006); 1-242.

Elder, A., S. Madsen, G.,Brown, C., Herbel, C., Collins, S., Whelan, C., Wenz, S., Alderson and L. Kronthal. 1997. Adhesives and Consolidants in Geological and Paleontological Conservation: A Wall Chart. SPNHC Leaflets, Vol. 1 No. 2.

http://www.spnhc.org/media/assets/leaflet2_chart.pdf

Hayes, J. W. - Handbook of Mediterranean Roman Pottery (British Museum Press, 1997).

Koob, S. P. - Conservation and Care of Glass Objects (London, 2006).      

Peacock, D.P.S., Pottery in the Roman World, (London, 1982).

Sease, C. 1992. A conservation manual for the field archaeologist. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology (book available as a free PDF): 
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/8ft6488x

Wiseman, J.R. and Mano-Zissi, D., Stobi: A City of Ancient Macedonia, Journal of Field Archaeology, 3(3): 269-302, 1976.

Travel & Accommodation & Practicalities    

Travel

The Nearest Airports: Skopje, Macedonia (80 km) and Thessaloniki, Greece (160 km) - don't forget to check the low cost flight options! If participants arrive at these airports, a transfer to Stobi may be arranged by request. Individual or group transfers' price may vary depending on both distance and number of passengers from 30 to 110 EUR.

How to get there? Stobi is located in the center of the Republic of Macedonia. It can be easily accessed by: 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) or Thessaloniki (Greece) - the bus stop is at Gradsko (5 km. away from Stobi), from there participants could get a taxi to Stobi or request a free pick-up available from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm on the arrival day (please ask for details); the railway is next to the site 3. from neighboring towns of Negotino (13 km) and Kavadartsi (20 km) participants could get on a bus to Gradsko or on a taxi directly to Stobi.

Accommodation & Meals

Accommodation: in the recently renovated air-conditioned cabins at the archaeological site next to the ancient ruins of Stobi, in rooms with two to three beds. Every cabin has 4 bedrooms + living room, 2 bathrooms with showers and WC. Washing machine and Wi-Fi are available for free. There are outdoor and indoor dining and social spaces.

Meals: Three meals per day are covered by the admission fee. They usually take place (except the lunch packages during the excursions) at the site's dining room or outdoors next to it. 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! No single room accommodation is available at Stobi!

Free Time & Trips

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

Technicalities & Practicalities

Insurance: The admission fee does not cover health insurance. It is necessary to arrange your own insurance before your trip to Republic of Macedonia! There are hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in all the larger towns. Foreign tourists must pay for health services, but might receive a refund if their home country has signed the Health Insurance Convention with Macedonia (you should check this information with your Ministry of Health).

Weather: Moderate continental climate dominates in Stobi. Summers there are usually hot (up to 40-45 C; 100 – 110 F). Rainy and chilly days in this season are rare but not excluded.

What to bring?

• A pair of working shoes (sneakers, running shoes) and a pair of comfortable shoes for walking/hiking.
• Clothing suitable for an outdoor working environment: sun-hat and light clothes with long sleeves and legs (protecting from the sun and insects), including a light raincoat (consider weather conditions - hot and sunny, but rain may fall as well).
• Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop having at least 20 GB free disk space, a mouse and an USB flash drive. Operating system recommended: Windows XP or newer; Mac OS X 10.0.0 or newer.
• Medication - only prescription medicines 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 Macedonia.   
• A converter to EU type electricity wall-plug if needed.   
• All Conservation & Documentation tools and materials are available at the site.
• A good attitude for work, fun, study and discoveries ;)

The Admission fee

The Admission fee includes: educational and fieldwork activities, full-board accommodation (hotel + 3 meals per day), tools, materials, project Handbook, issue of Certificate of Attendance, excursions/sightseeing tours/entrance fees and administrative costs.

The price in USD is for orientation. Please check current exchange rates! 

Early Bird Special by January 31st, 2018:

The Early Bird admission fee for the two-week session is 1169 EUR (approx. 1402 USD) - SAVE 130 EUR / 156 USD 

The Early Bird admission fee for the three-week session is 1619 EUR (approx. 1942 USD) - SAVE 180 EUR / 216 USD   

Regular Admission Fee - after January 31st, 2018:   

The regular admission fee for the two-week session is 1299 EUR (approx. 1558 USD)

The regular admission fee for the three-week session is 1799 EUR (approx. 2158 USD)    

Discounts off the regular admission fee:

 * 5% DISCOUNT OFF the regular admission fee available for:

1. Participation in more than 1 BHFS project in 2018. (5% discount is valid for all project sessions to be attended).   
2. Membership in the Archaeological Institute of America.

* 10% DISCOUNT OFF the regular admission fee available for:

1. Participation in any BHFS project in the past.

* 12% DISCOUNT OFF the regular admission fee available for:

1. Group participation (three or more people, who participate together in one BHFS project in 2018 (the discount is valid for each participant).

* 15% DISCOUNT OFF the regular admission fee is available for:

1. Group participation (three or more people, who participate together in more than one BHFS project in 2018 (the discount is valid for each participant for all projects/ sessions to be attended).
2. BHFS alumni, who participate in more than one BHFS project in 2018. (15% discount is valid only for the second, third etc. project to be attended).
3. BHFS alumni, who participated successfully in the same project in the past.

Note, 5% of every admission fee 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 two-week session and 9 ECTS credits for attending the three-week session. Transcripts of Records (ToR) are available upon request for an additional tuition fee starting from 282 EUR for six ECTS credits. For details please read carefully the Regulations for obtaining Transcripts of Records.