Workshop for Conservation of Roman Glass

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: 2013 -2024 the workshop took place at the archaeological site of Stobi (R. of N. Macedonia); 

Venue: National Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Debelt

Artifacts & monuments in the project's focus: The glass objects for the workshop originates from the Roman and Late Roman necropoleis of Deultum (modern Debelt, Bulgaria). They are part of the collection of National Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Debelt. 

Periods in the project's focus: Roman and Late Roman(1st – 6st century AD)

BHF partners in this project:  

• New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria;      
• National Archaeological Reserve Deultum - Debelt 
• Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Workshop directors: Dr. Daniela Cherneva, Chief instructor, BHF Affiliate Conservator, PhD in Conservation and Restoration of Pottery and Glass;

Instructors & Lectures:  Biljana J. Peeva, Instructor, BHF Affiliate Conservator of Pottery and glass Artefacts at National Institution Stobi (R. of N. Macedonia);

BHFS coordinator: Dr. Angela Pencheva

Field school session available:  22 June - 5 July, 2025

Application Deadlines: 22 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 recommended readings (the readings will be sent by e-mail to all registered students before the beginning of the project) as well as the additional readings.

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

Participants will use the tools and equipment available at the site and are not expected to bring any additional equipment.

 Archaeological and Historical context

The National archaeological reserve “Deultum-Debelt” is located 17 km southwest from Burgas. Develton (Thracian: Debelton, "two-swamp area") was founded as an emporium of Apollonia Pontica in the 7th century BCE. From the 6th century to the 4th century BCE, the settlement served as an important trade center between Thracians and Greeks. It was annexed to the Roman Empire in 46 CE and became part of the province of Thrace. Emperor Vespasian established a colonia of the veterans from the VIII Augusta legion there. The city had an extensive territory, as attested by the inscriptions from Panchevo and Sladki Kladenci near Burgas. Between 130 and 150 CE, the city suffered serious damage from barbarian attacks. By the end of the 2nd century and the beginning of the 3rd century, Deultum had an area of approximately 62 acres (0.25 sq km) and there were temples dedicated to Asclepius and Cybele. A mint was active at Deultum from the reign of Emperor Caracalla to that of Philip the Arab. The city is mentioned in the Antonine Itinerary, composed in the early 3rd century. Deultum was sacked by the Goths in the second half of the 3rd century and was rebuilt shortly after but on a smaller scale.

After the capital was moved from Rome to Constantinople in the 4^th century, Deultum became part of the defense system of the Roman Empire against the barbarian invasions, and a 5000 sq. m. fortification was built. During the medieval period, it was a border town between the Bulgarian Kingdom and the Byzantine Empire.

The rise of the sea level in the 13^th-14^th century led to moving the port east towards present-day Burgas. Deultum’s population steadily declined over the next 500 years until the ancient city and medieval fortress were completely abandoned.

The southern necropolis of Deultum was discovered in 2013 during construction in the area “Nedyalkovi kabi”. It is located on a hill on the southern shore of the Sredetska River. It was used during the Roman period – end of the 1^st century CE until the first half of the 3^rd century and later in the 9^th-10^th centuries. During the ongoing rescue excavations, archaeologists uncovered 518 grave structures (453 from the Roman period). Some of them had a rich grave inventory consisting of various ceramic and glass vessels, coins, tools, toiletries, as well as clothing elements. The glass vessels that will be conserved during the workshop come mostly from these graves.

   The Workshop

The Workshop for Conservation of Roman Glass will guide the participants through the history of ancient glass and the process of glass conservation, restoration, documentation, and study. Both the theoretical and practical courses will be based on Roman Glass from Deultum. The course includes three modules: 1) practical work in the conservation of replicas of Roman glass vessels and original items from the collection of National Archaeological Reserve Deultum; 2) lectures on topics related to the archaeological context of conserved vessels and conservation process of glass vessels; 3) excursions to the ancient coastal towns of Nessebar (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Sozopol (including study visits to their archaeological museums) and an optional 2-day excursion to Istanbul. For more information see the Course Program and Agenda below.

By the end of the workshop the participants will:

• be familiar with the basic methods for conservation and documentation of ancient glass;
• develop basic/further practical skills (depending on the participant's initial level of qualification) in ancient glass conservation and documentation;
• deepen their knowledge of Mediterranean/European History and Archaeology through first-hand experience
• meet professionals, who work in the areas of Classical Archaeology and Pottery & Glass Conservation
• contribute to the collection of the National Archaeological Reserve Deultum by conserving one or more authentic Roman vessels

All participants will receive:

• Project readings;
• Balkan Heritage Field School Certificate specifying the topics and the hours of the fieldschool activities (fieldwork, lectures, workshops, educational trips, etc.).   
• T-shirt.

The Team

Workshop instructors & lecturers:      

• Dr. Daniela Cherneva ( PhD in Conservation and Restoration of Pottery and Glass) Chief instructor, BHF Affiliate Conservator,

• Biljana J. Peeva, Instructor, BHF Affiliate Conservator of Pottery and glass Artefacts at National Institution Stobi (R. of N. Macedonia)

     

• Angela Pencheva (PhD in Classical Archaeology); BHF Program Director

   

The Program

The glass conservation will provide a minimum of 120 hours of practical work, workshops/lab work, lectures/instructions and guided tours:

Workshops and practical work:

• Conservation of 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 impression materials) application of the gap filling resin, refining the additions.         

Lectures:

• History of Pre-Roman and Roman glass technology. Core-formed glass vessels, mosaic glass; mold formed vessels, glass blowing etc.
• Forms of natural silica, forms of natural glass. Chemical composition of glass.

• Deterioration of archaeological glass, physical damage, chemical deterioration.
• Basic techniques in ancient glass conservation and restoration: cleaning of glass, preliminary assembly, final assembly, application of resin, mold making, gap filling, refining the additions. Materials used for conservation and restoration of ancient glass.
• Materials used for cleaning, stabilization and conservation of ancient glass. Choosing consolidants and adhesives for archaeological glass, solubility, aging properties, reversibility, and working properties.
• Roman and Late Roman glass shapes, based on examples from archaeological sites from these periods.

Guided Tours

• Guided visit of Sozopol: the Old Town Quarter and Archaeological Museum
• Guided visit to Varna: Varna Regional Museum of History  
• Optional excursion to Istanbul (NOT covered by the reimbursement payment)
  
                

Reading background   

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

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. 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.   

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

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

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 Debelt may be arranged by request. Transfers prices are:

Burgas Airport - Debelt - 31 EUR (approx. 50-60 BGN); Burgas downtown - Debelt - 26 EUR (30-40 BGN); 

Transfers can be shared by several participants.

How to get there? Bus lines connect Debelt with Burgas and Sozopol.

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 the 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 and 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:

• The Archaeology Museum

• Hippodrome/Palace

• Column of Constantine

• Forum of Emperor Theodosius

• Aqueduct of Emperor Valens

• Pantokrator Monastery

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 to the workshop’s environment (both urban areas and countryside) and the weather conditions from hot and sunny to chilly and rainy. Light clothes and 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 - 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 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 of free disk space, a mouse and a USB flash drive. Operating system recommended: Windows 10 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, bed and breakfast accommodation (hotel + breakfast 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 current exchange rates!

Early Bird Cost - until January 31, 2025:

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

Regular Cost - after January 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.