Cyprus - Investigating Late Bronze Age Urban Landscapes

This course is led by Kevin Fisher, Department of Classical, Near Eastern, and Religous Studies.

Dates: Tentativel scheduled from May 26, 2022 - June 26, 2022 (these dates may shift somewhat as plans are finalized). 

Topic: The main objective of this course is to train you in the principles and methods of field archaeology as practiced in the Mediterranean and Near East today so that you can work as skilled team members on any archaeological project.

Locations visited: Kalavasos, Cyprus

Funding: All qualifying students will receive a $1,000 Go Global Award

About the course

The main objective of this course is to train you in the principles and methods of field archaeology as practiced in the Mediterranean and Near East today so that you can work as skilled team members on any archaeological project.  A secondary, but still important, objective is for you to gain an understanding of Cypriot material culture and how it is used to illuminate life in the past and the rise and development of civilization on the island.  By living in a small Greek-Cypriot village, you will also gain an appreciation of both modern and traditional aspects of Cypriot culture and social life. 

You will work as members of the Kalavasos and Maroni Built Environments (KAMBE) Project (http://kambe.cnrs.ubc.ca/), which is investigating the relationship between urban landscapes, social interaction, and social change on the island of Cyprus during the Late Bronze Age (c. 1650–1100 BCE).  They will be involved in two main components of the project, focused on the urban centre of Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios: 

• excavations in the Northeast Area of the site, including the newly-discovered monumental Building XVI; and  
• geophysical survey using ground-penetrating radar, and possibly other methods, aimed at the high resolution mapping of the site’s buried urban landscape. 

Various areas of this site were the subject of archaeological excavation from 1979–1998, which recovered tantalizing glimpses of a thriving Late Bronze Age urban centre, including monumental buildings, wealthy tombs, and domestic architecture, which appear to have been laid out on a grid plan.  Since 2008 the KAMBE Project has been trying to understand how these discrete excavation areas were woven together into an overall urban fabric.  The project uses a combination of remote sensing (including geophysics, drone-based aerial survey, photogrammetry, and 3D laser scanning) and excavation to investigate how the urban landscape shaped new patterns of social interaction at this critical time in the Cypriot past.  

Course Objectives

The course objectives will be met through intensive, “hands on” participation in all aspects of archaeological fieldwork.  This work will include: 

• data collection through excavation and geophysical survey; 
• recording of archaeological contexts and finds using a new ‘paperless’ 3D digital recording system based on photogrammetry, GPS and laser scanning, as well as more conventional methods; 
• cleaning, processing, and classifying of finds. 

In addition to participating in fieldwork, you will attend a series of lectures on archaeological method and theory and Cypriot archaeology by project staff and other visiting scholars.  You will also visit (and give presentations on) important archaeological and cultural sites and museums throughout the island. In late June, you will attend the annual Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI) workshop in Nicosia, during which archaeologists working the island present the results of their work.  In addition to learning about the island’s archaeology, this is an excellent opportunity for you to network and meet other students from around the world. 

Accommodation 

For the duration of the project you will live with other KAMBE Project members in the village of Kalavasos, located about a 5-minute drive away from the archaeological site of Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios. Accommodations will be in nice tourist apartments, which are old village houses that have been renovated with most of the modern conveniences (you can check out the website for the rental company here: http://www.cyprusvillages.com.cy/).  Most are built around a courtyard and if you’re on an upper floor, you might also have a balcony.  Most apartments have two bedrooms and will house three to five students (up to two per bedroom with one sleeping in the living room area).  These apartments will have kitchen facilities (fridge, sink, oven and range, plates, bowls, utensils and basic cooking equipment) as well as a bathroom with sink and shower.

Program-specific requirements

• This course has no pre-requisites and students from any department may apply. 
• CNERS students can receive a maximum of 6 credits for CNERS 335. 
• CNERS MA students can receive a maximum of 3 credits for CNERS 535.   
• Please contact the CNERS advising office if you are unsure whether or not you can receive credit for this Global Seminar. 

1. Log in to the Gateway online application program 
2. Select “Search Experiences” and type "GSP" to explore Global Seminars programs 
3. Upload the application form for your selected Global Seminar – see Application documents below 

*Please note that you can apply for up to a maximum of 2 Global Seminars*

Approximately CAD $3,500-$3,700.

Students are responsible for covering the cost of 3 credits of UBC tuition.

The final fee depends on the number of students in the program. Students do not pay the Go Global fee when applying to a Global Seminar. The Go Global fee ($415) is built into the Program Fee and is payable upon acceptance to the program. 

Safety abroad

UBC is committed to preparing students for safe and successful international experiences. In order to achieve this, any student participating in a Go Global Program must complete the following:

• All UBC Student Safety Abroad requirements
• Go Global Program-specific pre-departure requirements 

Failure to successfully complete these and any other requirements may result in withdrawal from the Go Global Program.

You can contact Go Global by email, phone, in-person or virtually through Zoom.

Booking a virtual advising appointment

If you need to book an advising appointment, please email go.global@ubc.ca and provide an overview of the questions you have. Appointments will be held through Zoom or by phone.

Virtual drop-in advising is available on Tues, Dec 21 and Wed, Dec 22 from 1 to 3 pm PST through Zoom.

In-person drop-in advising hours

Go Global offers in-person drop-in advising at the UBC Life Building during the times below:

• Tuesday: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
• Wednesday: 1:00 - 3:00 pm

January Hours

Go Global will hold virtual reception hours on Tues, Jan 4 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am PST and 1 pm to 3:30 pm PST through Zoom.