PROGRAM OVERVIEW
ArchaeoSpain participants will be joining the ongoing archaeological excavation and restoration of the Early Christian and Byzantine settlement of Son Peretó, located in the eastern part of Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands.
If you want to learn about excavating skeletons, this is your dig.
Son Peretó is one of the most important Byzantine sites on the islands and a notable example of Early Christian architecture. Archaeologists have already uncovered a church, a baptistery with two baptismal basins, and two sectors of adjacent rooms used for housing and funeral rites.
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'CURRENT WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY' MAGAZINE
The current project, managed by the Manacor Historical Museum and the University of Barcelona, began in 2005, and since then our goal has been to preserve and restore the ruins uncovered during the 20th-century excavations, especially the foundations of several walls and untouched graves. So far the graves uncovered have been found in excellent condition.
This coming year we will focus on the excavation and restoration of the baptistery, and there is a good chance we'll also be digging inside the church (known as the basilica).
ArchaeoSpain at Son Peretó involves restoration, excavation, mapping, and artifact conservation. We are looking for four adventurous people to join a crew working alongside professional archaeologists and anthropologists from the University of Barcelona and the Manacor Museum. Our team will be guided by a local archaeologist who speaks English, Spanish, and the local Catalan.
Participants are expected to take part in all archaeological activities during the program. And while Spanish-speaking ability is not a prerequisite, we will be immersed in both Spanish and Catalan languages daily. Work will be demanding due to the summer heat and the physical nature of the excavation (picks, shovels, trowels, and wheelbarrows) so participants should be in reasonable physical condition and in good health.
The group will also make time to experience the island away from the shovels and wheelbarrows, either by relaxing at a café bar, our seaside patio, or by visiting several nearby Talaiotic, Roman, Byzantine, Moorish, and Medieval sites of interest. And of course we will frequent the island's excellent beaches. Our boat trip to the island of Cabrera, a national park and one of the most beautiful spots in the Mediterranean, is just one of the highlights.
In cooperation with students' universities, academic
credit can be obtained.
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learn more about receiving credit.