SURVIVORS' TALES
"My
month in Spain was an amazing experience that I will never forget. At first
I found the idea of living in a foreign country with people I didn’t
know a daunting prospect, however after taking the plunge I never looked
back. The archaeology was fascinating and rewarding – there’s
nothing like the satisfaction of discovering your first tomb."
—Rachel Whittington, Durham University, August 2009
"Archaeology is all about getting your hands dirty, and the Pintia course shows you what a career in field archaeology is really like. We were encouraged to take part in every step of the excavation process, and all the staff were experienced in their fields and helped play a part in making our experience well-informed, enjoyable and rewarding. Also, we were immersed in Spanish culture as each week we went on well-organised excursions to various historic cities. We had plenty of time to let our hair down too, with a canoe trip down the Duero river and an exhilarating fiesta experience in nearby Peñafiel. This course is first-rate, an unforgettable month."
—Aileen Tierney, County Meath, Ireland, August 2009
"The archaeology I experienced during this program is something I
could have never found in a class or book. I had read about
the excavation process, the mapping and surveying, the drawing and more,
but
it wasn't
until I actually was able to experience it firsthand that I knew what it
all meant. And I really learned what it was like to live in a Spanish environment.
Something that I will never forget is the time we spent in Padilla de Duero.
It was so wonderful getting to know everyone in the program, especially
because we all came from such different backgrounds."
—Emily Cleland, St. Thomas University, July 2009
"I will never forget the morning I went out early with a few others to uncover the first tomb. I got such an adrenaline rush when we managed to expose the pottery and the dagger. I spent all day in the trench lifting finds out of the tomb, which was so rewarding after all that hard work that I had put in beforehand. Before I went to Pintia I knew very little about how the evidence of ancient history was actually gathered, but now I feel like I know a great deal, from how to excavate the trenches and handle the archaeological material to mapping and processing the tombs in the lab. The work requires a lot of patience and effort, but the rewards of excavating tombs, going on fantastic excursions and just getting to know lots of really interesting people are incredible!"
—Henry Clarke, Oxford University, July 2009
"Archaeology is hard work, requiring reliance on others in order for the digging to run smoothly. But it is very rewarding work when you have that sense of wonder when you remove your first pottery sherd or human bone or bronze broach. Digging, brushing, and feeling that sense of discovery each time is awesome. There is a good taste of everything, from historical sites to nature walks to the food and digging each day... there was never a dull moment."
—Landon Perlett, University of Saskatchewan, June 2009
"For those planning to take on this adventure, I would say to use
siesta time for sleeping, take a daily journal of everything you do, bring
a loaded iPod and a positive attitude. The work is well worth it when the
day is over, but everything here is what you make of it. The cuisine is
superb, especially if you're willing to try new things, and local people
are warm and inviting. The staff at Pintia are incredible: prepared, energetic
and they worked hard every day alongside us. The best care was taken for
all aspects of the trip and no detail was passed."
—Michelle Whipp, Louisiana State University, June 2009
"It would be impossible to even sum up everything I learned in a few sentences, but if you go on this trip you will learn... The lectures were very informative and, paired with the digging, they were a wonderful opportunity. But I was happiest in the trenches with a pickaxe, shovel, sieve or brush in hand. It was the experience as a whole – the ups, the downs, the frustrations, the excitement, the good, the bad, the ugly (and after a day in the trenches under a cloudless Spain sky, you ARE ugly) – that makes this such a worthwhile experience."
—Stephanie Bullard, Springfield, Ohio, July 2009
"The dig provided a perfect introduction to the complete archaeological process, from swinging a pick and shovel, to excavating finds and conserving finds, and all the steps between. And all of this practical knowledge was supplemented by an education in the Vaccean people to provide context to the finds. There is a thrill unlike any other when you remove a pot from the dirt and you realise that you are holding something that was put into the ground 2,500 years ago by another human being."
—Trevor Jordan, Sydney, Australia, June 2008
"I love the Spanish lifestyle! Also, I learned that Spain
has an amazing history and too many interesting historical and archaeological
sites for one trip. I would recommend the program to anyone new to archaeology
who wants to get a feel for what it really involves, to people interested
in experiencing another culture at close quarters, and also to those who
love doing jigsaw puzzles (handy when trying to piece together broken pottery)."
—Cristy Gelling, University of Pittsburgh, August 2008
"Because I had fieldwork experience prior to the ArchaeoSpain program I learned more about the small differences in methodologies used in the U.S. and Spain. Another part of the excavation that I enjoyed was the drawing and mapping of the site because I did not have much experience in that.
"I definitely learned more about Spain in general while on the program than I thought I would. I think most anyone would get something out of Pintia but it will appeal most to people who really want to learn more about Spain and get hands-on experience with the excavations. All of it is such an immensely cultural interaction that anyone interested in people will get a tremendous feeling of understanding of a world outside their own, as well as a nice bit of archaeology and history."
—Scott Brownlie, Kent State University, July 2006