Roman villa with Mosaics – Spring season 2025 (90£/day)

Location: Alcácer do Sal, Portugal

Season: April 4, 2025 to April 18, 2025

Session Dates: 4th to 18th of April 2025 - Please apply online http://www.swarchaeologydigs.com/apply.html

Application Deadline: March 7, 2025

Deadline Type: Exact Date

Website: http://www.swarchaeologydigs.com/pdl.html

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
South-West Archaeology Digs (SWAD)

Project Director:
Mariana Nabais

Project Description:

Located in central Portugal, near the Atlantic Ocean, the Roman villa of Porto da Lama maintained a close connection with one of ancient Lusitania’s most significant cities, Salacia. Linked by the Sítimos stream, which likely served as a channel for cultural exchange and influence, this strategically situated villa revealed at least three remarkable mosaics adorned with mythological and maritime themes at the heart of its domus, or landowner’s residence.

Though initially identified in the late 1940s, the site underwent partial excavation only in the emergency context of Spring 2023. This excavation uncovered the social section of a domus, featuring a foyer (vestibulum), an entrance hall (atrium), a dining room (triclinium) and the master’s study (tablinum).

Several structures and surface artefacts extend over an area exceeding 10,000 m². Our objective for the excavation season in the Spring of 2025 is to fully investigate the architecture of this affluent Roman residence and its closest dependencies.

This site has already been featured in a documentary now screening in several European film competitions.

Period(s) of Occupation: Roman Imperial (1st to 5th century)

Notes:
Fee is £90 a day. You can apply for 2-weeks, from the 4th to the 18th of April 2025. Please apply online http://www.swarchaeologydigs.com/apply.html

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 2 weeks

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: None

Room and Board Arrangements:
Room: SWAD staff and students are provided with accommodation in a shared house in Alcácer do Sal. The bedrooms accommodate two to four students each. The kitchen, the bathrooms, the living room are also shared, so it is the group’s responsibility to keep them clean and tidy. A rota with basic cleaning tasks will be designed to be carried out by all participants. Board: Three meals and a morning snack are provided on working days. Breakfast will happen at home and students will prepare it themselves. Every participant should prepare a morning snack before leaving the house in the morning, which commonly consists of a cheese sandwich and fruit. Lunch and dinner will be in Alcácer do Sal. We will do our best to accommodate students with special dietary requirements or food allergies, but those candidates must contact us before the beginning of the project. Students will have the pleasure of eating traditional Portuguese food from the Alentejo region.

Academic Credit:
We are happy to sign any forms you may need so you can get academic credit. University College London undergraduate students are automatically credited.