THE AVECASTA SUMMER COURSE – Ancient Territories and Scenic Archaeology

Location: Ferreira do Zêzere (Avecasta cave), SANTARéM, PT

Season: August 17, 2018 to August 26, 2018

Session Dates: http://xn--double-u-replay-associao-nbc7h.pt/joomla30/curso-pg/12-cursos/92-avecastasummercourse-program (Detailed Program and CVs of the Professors / Lecturers / Tutors

Application Deadline: June 15, 2018

Deadline Type: Contact for details

Website: http://xn--double-u-replay-associao-nbc7h.pt/joomla30/curso-pg/12-cursos/93-asc

Discount for AIA members: No discount previewed

Program Type:
Field school

RPA Certified:
no

Affiliation:
Double-u Replay (Association) Transdisciplinary Centre of the Archaeologies (Politechnic Institute of Tomar - Portugal) Municipality of Ferreira do Zêzere

Project Director:
José Mateus and Paula Queiroz

Project Description:

The New Perspectives

To reconstruct past human achievements in their ecological and social milieux requires detailed analysis at the time of excavation and in the laboratory but also an investment on realistic and vivid re-experimentation of the contextual scenic settings of ancient performances. Well preserved (fossilized) ancient villages are “portals” to the Past, partly made accessible by a Micro-Archaeology with detailed attention to the remains and traces hidden in the fossilizing fine sediment matrices and on the microscopic fabric and surface of materials. Different contexts (ecological, rural, artisanal, consumptional, communicational, symbolic) have to be tested on working (performative and virtual) platforms. Scenic Archaeology reenacts the Past in multiple experiments in simulation to foster actively objectivity through the integration of multiple subjectivities where both researchers and citizens assume a shared role of creative REPLAYING.

In the Avecasta Transdisciplinary Summer Course the participant will follow the adventure from dig to the recreation of an ancient village, taking both buried material evidence and the reference to of the remote oral traditions still echoing in the memories of the communities.

Scenic Archaeology involves the reconstruction of ancient scenarios (constraining  stages / substrates), actors (active eco-physiographic, vegetal, animal, human agents), props (tools) and performances (recurrent, ephemeral, historically-unique, symbolic, “acting”). The archaeological programme must approach these contexts with a scenic perspective in order to provide replayable holistic functional entities.

Working Scheme

The course will be held at the Avecasta Cave during a new excavation campaign. Participants (students) will follow a theoretical and practical training along 6 seminars (some double) which involve conference talks, guided visits (field, lab and cabinet), workshops (with “hand-on” experiences on hardware and software), and guided excavation practices. In general the theoretical classes will take place in the afternoon sessions; the practices in the morning. During the last weekend participants will join the AVECASTA OPEN DAYS where multiple cultural events will take place in the cave and its surroundings.

Logistics

The participants will be staying in the small town of Ferreira do Zêzere (near Avecasta) in dormitory-style bedrooms with access to adequate hot shower cabinets *. 4 meals will be served (at CRIFZ – breakfast & dinner; at Areias Social Centre – lunch; at Avecasta cave – tea-time break). Transports between the town and the cave will be assured in vans.

Extra optional free programs

The Ferreira do Zêzere Region has a great offer in terms of tourism and recreation programmes. We suggest (cultural and swimming) tours to the village of Dornes, to the Convent of Christ (Tomar), to the Lagoa Azul (Castelo de Bode). Some extra-curricular group activities will be expected (music ad hoc assemblages, astronomy, speleology, field botany).

Price (course fee)

Before 15th of June:

560 € (includes course, documentation, meals, accommodation, local transportation*)

After 15th June: 600 €

Period(s) of Occupation: A Neolithic to Bronze Age Village in a cave Roman Epoch Middle Age

Notes:
TOPICS: MIcroarchaeology, palaeoecology, palynology, macro-palaeobotany, palaeo-vegetation, 3D, virtual archaeology, GIS, occupation-surface “décapage”, archaeometry, provenance analysis, ethnoarchaeology, reenactment, videogames for Heritage, archaeometallurgy, biological anthropology, ancient necropoli, geoarchaeology, stratigraphy, dramatic re-creation of the Past.

Project Size: 25-49 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 10 days

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: Students or serious amateurs on all Territorial (Human and Natural) Sciences (+ Technologies and Reenactment)

Room and Board Arrangements:
The course will be held at the Avecasta Cave during a new excavation campaign. Participants (students) will follow a theoretical and practical training along 6 seminars (some double) which involve conference talks, guided visits (field, lab and cabinet), workshops (with “hand-on” experiences on hardware and software), and guided excavation practices. In general the theoretical classes will take place in the afternoon sessions; the practices in the morning. During the last weekend participants will join the AVECASTA OPEN DAYS where multiple cultural events will take place in the cave and its surroundings. The participants will be staying in the small town of Ferreira do Zêzere (near Avecasta) in dormitory-style bedrooms with access to adequate hot shower cabinets *. 4 meals will be served (at CRIFZ - breakfast & dinner; at Areias Social Centre - lunch; at Avecasta cave - tea-time break). Transports between the town and the cave will be assured in vans. Cost: 560 € including course, documentation, meals, accommodation, local transport) if register (and payment) is till 15th June. 600 € after 15th June http://xn--double-u-replay-associao-nbc7h.pt/joomla30/curso-pg/12-cursos/94-registration-on-the-avecasta-summer-course

Academic Credit:
No formal academic credits are offered yet (a formal process is going on with the Polytechnic Insitute of Tomar with this purpose) credits offered by Double-u Replay. Tuition is http://xn--double-u-replay-associao-nbc7h.pt/joomla30/curso-pg/12-cursos/92-avecastasummercourse-program.