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![]() While working as field crew among professional archaeologists you will be learning the methods and techniques of an archaeological excavation, using tools, learning stratigraphy, using record sheets, and recording in an excavation journal. Collecting, cleaning, and classifying artifacts will be part of your daily work, as well as drawing structures and archaeological finds. ArchaeoSpain High School programs celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023. We are very proud that several of our former students have become professional archaeologists.
At the sides of the building were long structures 12 meters wide that could have been originally divided. Both the height of the preserved walls as well as the remains of pavement found between the collapsed walls indicate the existence of two stories for the long rooms or alae, and even three stories for the towers. The layout of the central space is still a mystery.
The first excavations of this fortress took place in the 1970s, led by Professor M. Sadek of the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The perimeter was roughly uncovered, although researchers could not determine when it was built or its function. That project ended in 1973, but ArchaeoSpain returned 40 years later, with modern techniques, to understand why this massive structure was built.
ArchaeoSpain directors lead the excavation under the auspice of the Culture Department at the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha. excavationThe main goal for this new season is to deepen our knowledge of the fortress to help us understand its main function. Why was it built here and when? No similar buildings have been found in other areas of Spain. The main Roman reference in this area is the city of Segóbriga, but another clue could be the more than 50 lapis specularis mines in the region, more than in any other place in the Roman Empire.
Lapis specularis or speculum is a type of crystallized, translucent gypsum used during the 1st century for window material. This was the first crystal known to be used in windows (Pliny. Nat. Hist. XXXVI, 161). A valuable and expensive product at that time, this gypsum brought economic prosperity to Segóbriga and the surrounding region. One possible explanation for the existence of the fortress could have been to serve as a military garrison that guarded the mines and/or as a horreum, a place to store the lapis specularis. It could have also been a warehouse to store the food, tools, and equipment for the miners. A military post would be justified to ensure the security of the supplies. The fortress could have represented something similar to the headquarters of the mining operation around Segóbriga. In 2025, excavations will continue in the northeastern corner of the fortress. Here, an interesting late-Roman settlement has been detected that used the foundational pillars to reinforce elements in the corners of the rooms. Our focus will be the completion of the excavation work in three rooms adjacent to the northeast tower. These rooms interest us because unlike other areas of the excavation, these spaces have yielded artifacts spanning the entirety of the fortress from the 1st to 4th centuries, so they provide necessary information about the origins of the structure.
As in previous years we expect an abundance of artifacts, mainly sets of pottery and other elements of daily life such as hair pins, rings, coins, and iron tools, of which we already have an extensive catalogue. In recent years, we have also uncovered amphorae used to transport goods, fragments of walls built with opus spicatum (herring bone-style masonry), as well as the remains of a forge. SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS
Some of the finds in room e20 excavated in 2017accommodationsWe will be staying in Jardín de San Bartolomé, a large and beautiful traditional house located in the center of our village, Carrascosa del Campo. The local swimming pool is a five-minute walk from the house and we can use it every day after work.
The house was built in 1840 on a garden belonging to the church next door and was named for Saint Bartholomew. It was restored not long ago and ArchaeoSpain finished the renovations. It has been carefully decorated and we will enjoy its diverse common areas such as the library, the dining room, the porch, and the large garden. Carrascosa del Campo is a small village located in Cuenca province one hour east of Madrid. It is surrounded by a landscape of small holm oaks between soft hills. The village, population 646, has an economy based mainly on agriculture and livestock. Its safe environment and its closeness to historical towns, archaeological sites, and national parks make it the perfect location for our youngest archaeologists. The village has several small grocery stores, a pharmacy, and a healthcare center (if you require special medication, however, we encourage you to bring enough for the entire program). By our front door there is a bus stop that connects the town with Madrid and Cuenca. dates & fees 2025 Session 1 : June 9-27 Open for Application
Session 2: June 30-July 18 FULL Session 3: July 28-August 15 Open for Application Fee: US$ 3,850 Program Fees Include:
Fees DO NOT include airfare. PAYMENT PROCESS: To reserve a space, you must pay a $400 application deposit (included in the price of the program). The remainder of the program fee will be due as soon as the program is full, and you will be notified in advance. Application fees will be refunded if the applicant is not selected. Application Deadline: Rolling application. We accept applications until all spaces are filled. Cancellation and Refund Policy: -Before March 1st: All payments, except for $100 from the application deposit, are refundable. -Between March 1st and April 1st: Application fee non-refundable. The remaining balance is refundable. -After April 1st: All payments are non-refundable unless your application is rejected by the program director. Travel Arrangements: You can start making your travel arrangements as soon as your application is accepted. We strongly recommend that participants purchase travel insurance to cover all needs including medical, accident, baggage loss, delays and personal liability. ArchaeoSpain is not a travel provider nor is a registered travel agent. Your travel arrangements to and from Spain are subject to the terms and conditions of your travel agency. In the rare event that the program is cancelled, ArchaeoSpain will refund program fees, but is not responsible for non-refundable airline or other tickets or payments or any similar penalties that may be incurred. It is your responsibility to protect yourself against airline and travel agency cancellation fees. Medical Insurance: All ArchaeoSpain participants are covered with an insurance packet that provides medical, surgical treatment, and prescription drugs in case of accident or sudden illness. With your program packet we will send you more details regarding this coverage, but you may contact our staff for more information. European students should bring an EHIC card with them. Right of Refusal: ArchaeoSpain reserves the right to refuse an applicant’s selection. This is a rare occurrence and is most likely due to a person’s inability to meet health requirements or in the interest of group compatibility. Once in the field, the program director and ArchaeoSpain reserve the right to send a participant away from the program should that person’s behavior compromise the safety, research objectives and general performance of the group, or violate Spanish laws, regulations, or customs. the staffSITE DIRECTORS
If you take part in an ArchaeoSpain program, you agree to respect the archaeological sites and monuments in accordance with Spanish laws and to accept the code of ethics that does not allow taking photographs of the archaeological sites or of the discoveries made in them. The publication of photographs related to the sites and their findings, especially on social media, always require prior approval from the site directors.
excursionsWORLD HERITAGE AND ROMAN SITES
You will experience different aspects of Spanish culture during the weekend and afternoon excursions. We will visit medieval Toledo, Cuenca and its archaeological museum, the Roman city of Segóbriga, the monastery of Uclés and a Roman mine of lapis specularis. We will also explore the Cuenca mountains. Toledo, World Heritage City, is known as the city of the three cultures: Muslim, Christian, and Jewish. We will visit the Cristo de la Luz mosque, the Tránsito synagogue, and the Cathedral of Toledo. We’ll get lost in its narrow streets, eat tapas at its outdoor cafes, and do some shopping. Cuenca is another World Heritage City in Spain only 30 minutes from our village. We will visit the Hanging Houses and the archaeological museum that holds a large collection of Roman artifacts, including some from our site. The city’s most stunning characteristic is the harmony between nature and architecture, as well as its significant cultural and monumental legacy.
The Roman City of Segóbriga was the cultural, administrative, and mining center for a large part of Roman Spain. Pliny the Elder called it “caput celtiberiae,” the regional epicenter. Julius Caesar founded the city and it grew under an ambitious program of public works due to wealth from the mining of lapis specularis, creating the forum, a theater, amphitheater, baths, temples, and a circus maximus.
The lapis specularis mines in Huete and Garcinarro. Lapis specularis is selenite gypsum that, due to the size and transparency of its crystals, was used as the first window materials and was exported all over the Roman Empire.
There is nothing like walking through the Serranía de Cuenca, filled with geological marvels that look like cities sculpted by fairies and elves. It's an ideal place for adventure sports such as canyoning, kayaking, and paintball.
Only 10 minutes drive from Carrascosa is the castle and monastery of Ucles, the headquarters of the medieval military order of the Knights of Santiago.
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