PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The University of Valladolid’s archaeological team at the Celtic-Iron
Age necropolis and Roman settlement of Pintia has chosen ArchaeoSpain to
organize international student crews to join its team this summer.
The excavation focuses on the Vaccean necropolis. The Vaccean culture was an Iron Age people with Celtic links that settled in north-central Spain around the 5th century BC. The cemetery, located about 300 meters (984 feet) from the main settlement, was used between the 4th century BC and the 1st century.
Up to 2004, archaeologists had uncovered about 70 cremation tombs. In 2005 the crew opened a new area and found the first eight of a series of 35 new burials in excellent condition – most of them belonging to warriors and featuring a bounty of war-related artifacts. Research in this area of the site is helping investigators understand better the social organization of these pre-Roman peoples.
In 2007
and 2008 teams uncovered 50 cremation tombs, the majority belonging
to warriors, women and children from between the 2nd and 1st centuries
BC. Around 500 funerary artifacts were found, and of those 100 came
from a single burial
of
two
girls.
Our most important find was Tomb #153 and its 115 grave
goods, including some unique ceramic copies of jewelry.
In 2009, Pintia crews excavated 44 tombs containing around 600 man-made artifacts. In one section around 100 giant limestone slabs (some weighing nearly a metric ton) covered the tombs, which protected them from subsequent farming and left the funerary jars and grave goods in excellent condition. The artifacts recovered included daggers, broaches, spear points, grills, knives, tongs, tweezers, shaving blades and necklaces.
This coming summer the plan is to excavate an adjacent area in the necropolis.
CLICK
HERE TO READ THE PINTIA COVER STORY IN
'CURRENT WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY' MAGAZINE
The university will clear the site in May of any vegetation and topsoil that may have accumulated over the winter. When the first international team arrives in June, the necropolis will be ready for excavation.
Participants are expected to contribute to all aspects of the project, including excavation, mapping, photography, artifact conservation and cataloguing.
In
addition to the excavation and lab work, there will be a number of seminars
and workshops related to the fieldwork.
Do not worry if you do not speak Spanish because it is not a prerequisite to participate. Bilingual archaeologists will guide you during your stay. Those that sign up, though, will be immersed in the language daily and we hope that they will take advantage of the program to improve their spoken Spanish. The summer heat and the physical nature of the excavation will make the work demanding, so participants should be in reasonable physical condition and in good health.
But hard work always reaps its benefits once an archaeologist relaxes and reflects on the day's excavation. With this mantra in place, the group will make time several times each week to experience Spain away from the shovels and picks, either by visiting a café bar or by touring several nearby Roman and Medieval sites of interest.
In cooperation with students' universities, academic
credit can be obtained.
Click here to
learn more about receiving credit.
PLEASE NOTE that the partnership between the University of Valladolid and ArchaeoSpain means that ArchaeoSpain will handle all logistical and administrative efforts prior to the excavation. Once at Pintia, the university is responsible for everything else, including the fieldwork, seminars, workshops, bilingual team leaders, room and board, and excursions.